The University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will head west to Grand Forks, N.D. this weekend for a National Collegaite Hockey Conference series rematch with No. 17/18 University of North Dakota at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Friday-Saturday series will get underway at 7:00 p.m. Friday night before wrapping up at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.


HANSON IS LATEST BULLDOG TO BE NAMED NCHC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: UMD now has a league-most six league rookie honors after Ty Hanson earned it last weekend for his three point (1g, 2a), four block weekend against Arizona State.

Saturday was the second time this season Hanson has recorded two points (Miami on Nov. 16, also a goal and assist was the other).

PLAYING WITH POWER: Overall, UMD has scored 23 power play goals on the season in 28 games, nine of which have come over the past seven games.

Over those seven games, the Bulldogs have scored nine power play goals in 30 attempts -- a 30.0 conversion rate. It's a jump from UMD's overall power play rate (22.8, 23-101) and a 24.2 rate in the NCHC play. The Bulldogs rank fifth in NCHC power play percentage.

Two players have five power play goals so far this season -- Dominic James and Jayson Shaugabay.

UMD'S POWER PLAY VS. UND: UMD went 3-of-6 on the power play against the Fighting Hawks -- the most power play goals the Bulldogs have scored in a single game this season on Nov. 8. Overall, UMD is 4-of-10 on the season vs. the Fighting Hawks.

FRESHMAN FRUITION: The Bulldogs rookie class has been as good as advertised.

38 of UMD's 79 goals so far this season have been scored by its 11 rookies, and three of the Bulldogs top five goal scorers are freshman. 

Jayson Shaugabay has 22 points through 28 games and is now tied for the second most points by a Bulldog this season.

Other Bulldog rookies in the top-5 are  Max Plante (15 GP) 19 points (7g, 12a) and Zam Plante (28 GP) 17 points (5g, 12a).

Ty Hanson, a freshman defenseman, is sitting on 12 points (4g, 8a), while two rookies -- Blake Bechen (4g, 4a), Harper Bentz (2g, 6a) have eight points each. Callum Arnott has five goals and three assists for eight points after recording a goal and an assist last weekend against ASU.

SHAUGABAY'S SCOREBOOK: With 22 points (9g, 13a) through his first 28 games, Jayson Shaugabay is just one of three rookies in the past seven seasons to record 20 or more points. Ben Steeves had a freshman haul of 28 (21g, 7a) in 2022-23, and prior to that, Noah Cates was the last rookie with 21 or more points (9g, 14a for 23 points) in 2018-19.

Over the past decade (2014-15 or more recent), an additional three players have notched 20 or more points as a rookie -- Scott Perunovich (11-25=36) and Mikey Anderson (5-18=23) in 2017-18 and Joey Anderson (12-24=36) in 2016-17.

THE LAST TIME A ROOKIE TRIO TO EACH RECORD 20 OR MORE POINTS? In addition to Jayson Shaugabay's 22 points, Max Plante has registered 19 points so far this season, while his brother Zam has recorded 17. The last trio of rookies to hang up 20 or more points? Scott Perunovich (36 points in 42 games), Mikey Anderson (23 points in 39 games) and Nick Swaney (22 in 35 games) in 2017-18.

MAXED (PLANTE) OUT: Despite a collegiate career that was slightly delayed by injury (10 games), and a World Junior gold medal (three games), freshman Max Plante has found his footing with the Bulldogs. Plante, who has notched at least a point in 13 of the 15 games he has skated with UMD so far, has also posted multiple point games in almost half of his appearances -- six. Plante is currently on a four game-scoring streak, which has included one goal and four assists.

Currently, Plante ranks third in the NCHC with a 1.27 ppg average and fourth in assists per game (1.80). Despite missing 10 games to injury early in the season and three to U.S. Junior National Team duty, Plante has recorded 14 points (6g, 11a) in just 13 collegiate games. 

THE SERIES: UMD has lost six-straight games to the Fighting Hawks dating back to Nov. 10, 2023. All-time, the Bulldog are 101-158-11 in 270 total games against North Dakota all-time.

In the Scott Sandelin era, UMD owns a 27-54-5 against UND, and since the two programs started facing off as NCHC opponents, the Bulldogs are 16-23-1.

Top-5 UMD Players vs UND

Dominic James GP=7 G=2 A=3 P=5

Owen Gallatin GP=12 G=0 A=4 P=4

Anthony Menghini GP=6 G=4 A=0 P=4

Aaron Pionk GP=6 G=0 A=3 P=3

Jayson Shaugabay GP=2 G=0 A=3 P=3

Adam Gajan 0-2 .750 SV%

Klayton Knapp Appeared in two games .896 SV%

Last 10 Games, UMD vs UND.   (1-9-0)

Nov. 9, 2024 1-4 Loss home

Nov. 8, 2024 3-7 Loss Home

Feb. 24, 2024 2-4 Loss Away

Feb. 23, 2024 0-6 Loss Away

Nov 11, 2023 0-2 Loss Home

Nov 10, 2023 2-4 Loss Home

Jan. 21, 2023 2-1 Win Away

Jan. 20, 2023 2-4 Loss Away

Feb. 19, 2022 2-3 Loss Home

Feb. 18, 2022 3-4 Loss Home

The Bulldogs were swept by UND last back on Nov. 8-9 at AMSOIL Arena by scores of 7-3 and 4-1.

On Friday night, the Bulldogs couldn't quite dig out of the early goal deficit it spotted the Fighting Hawks, who took an early 2-0 lead less than seven minutes into the first period, but it was the second period that crippled UMD. After the Bulldogs gave up three goals, including two over a 3:06 span from 7:05 through 14:18, the Fighting Hawks led 5-0 after 40 minutes of play.

UMD pushed back offensively in the third period, however, despite a North Dakota power play tally – it's second of the night – just 1:37 into the frame. Anthony Menghini scored his first of three power play goals at 6:52, banking the puck through the goaltender. The Fighting Hawks struck for a shorthanded tally at the 11:07 mark, but just 1:42 later, Menghini struck again.

The sophomore forward struck again from the slot after he finished off a one-timer and brilliant passing sequence from Blake Bechen and Jayson Shaugabay, and then, with just 2:02 left in the game, Menghini completed the power play hat trick. 

UMD played both freshmen goaltenders in the game – Adam Gajan started and played 34:18 with 15 saves and five goals against, while Klayton Knapp made his first official appearance in Bulldog sweater and made eight saves on 10 shots faced. The Fighting Hawks outshot UMD 35-30, and both teams were 50% on the power play – the Bulldogs went 3-of-6, while UND was 2-of-4.

North Dakota notched all three of their non-empty net goals in the opening frame Saturday night. Similar to Friday night, the Fighting Hawks got on the board twice in the first 5:38 of action. North Dakota then tacked on a power play at the 15:19 mark of the frame, and just like that, the Bulldogs were down 3-0 before the first intermission.

Outshot 17-7 in the first period, UMD fought back in the second and outshot the Fighting Hawks 13-5. The Bulldogs biggest break of the game gave them their best scoring opportunity – a five minute major called on UND at the 11:26 mark for face-masking. Harper Bentz and the Bulldogs used that power play to strike at the end of it when Bentz redirected a shot from Aaron Pionk to cut the lead to 3-1 at 16:24, a score that would hold up until late in the third.

UMD battled in the third, outshooting the Fighting Hawks 7-6, but the lone goal of the period went to UND on an empty net at 17:37 to ice the game.

The Bulldogs started freshman goaltender Gajan in net, but he was pulled after just 5:38 of work, six saves and two goals against. Rookie Knapp had a young career-high 18 saves in 54 minutes of time, and allowed just one goal over that span.

UMD went 1-of-4 on its power play while the Fighting Hawks were 1-of-3. 

EXTRA NOTES ON UMD-UND: Anthony Menghini had a team high three-goals with a hat trick on Nov. 8 -- its the most goals a Bulldog player has scored in a single game this year.

--UND is currently the most penalized team in the NCHC (4.90 a game).

--UND has two players with over 50 blocked shots on the season --Jake Livanavage (57) and Caleb MacDonald (53).

LAST TIME OUT: UMD was unbeaten last weekend against Arizona State, picking up a 3-2 overtime win Friday night before settling for 3-3 overtime tie Saturday.

UMD's power play was once again clicking Friday night, and it was activated with a goal by Dominic James 13:27 into the first period for the early Bulldog lead. James' goal, his first in seven games, snapped from the right circle, his 11th of the season.

The Sun Devils responded with a power play tally of their own from Artern Shlaine 39 seconds later to pull ASU even, a score that would hold through the rest of the opening frame.

ASU went ahead 2-1 4:55 into the second period when Lukas Sillinger somehow pushed the puck through the UMD goaltender Klayton Knapp's pads. But UMD responded again with another power play goal, this time from Callum Arnott. After Ty Hanson's hit traffic in the front of the net, Arnott corralled it and popped it at 7:07 to knot the game up at 2-2.

A scoreless third period led to overtime, and UMD jumped all over the extra time opportunity, including a puck off the pipe just 15 seconds in. The Bulldogs finally got their redemption at the 2:37 mark when James carried the puck into the ASU zone, cycled and played the to Aaron Pionk, whose sharp cut in the slot to his left froze the Sun Devil defender just long enough to bury the puck far post for the game-winner.

UMD outshot ASU 26-25 and 3-2 in overtime, and got 23 saves from Knapp in his sixth win of the season. The Bulldogs were 2-of-3 on their power play, while the Sun Devils went 1-of-1. 

On Saturday, Ty Hanson opened the game's scoring after he took a feed from Adam Kleber from the red lion and skated through the left circle and unloaded on ASU goaltender Gibson Homer for his fourth of the season at 2:52 of the opening frame.

The Sun Devils equalized at the 10:18 mark on the first of Artem Shhlaine's two goals on the night and after 20 minutes of action, both the game and the shots on goal (nine each)were knotted up. Almost six minutes into the second period, UMD retook the lead on a tap in rebound from Kleber, his second of the season. But the Sun Devils struck twice – Kyle Smolen at 8:55 and a power play tally for Shalaine at 14:38 to pocket the 3-2 advantage after two periods of play.

Max Plante had other ideas, however, and 11 seconds into the third period, the speedy forward popped one past Homer from the left face-off dot to pull the Bulldogs even at 3-3.

The Bulldogs battled both the Sun Devils and the box in the third, even killing off a 5-on-3 at about the 8:06 mark – the fourth penalty on UMD of the period. The score didn't budge, however, and for a second time on the weekend and third time this season, the Bulldogs and Sun Devils needed overtime to try and find a winner.

ASU outshot UMD 5-3 in the extra five minutes, but both teams had to settle for the official tie. The Sun Devils won the ensuing shootout for the extra NCHC point.

Bulldog goaltender Knapp had a 41-save performance, just one save shy of his career high of 42 set last month. For the first time in four games this season, ASU outshot UMD 44-35, but the Bulldogs kept the Sun Devils 1-of-7 on its power play. 

NOTES FROM THE ASU SERIES: UMD is now 3-2-1 all-time against the Sun Devils and finishes four league meetings this season 1-2-1 against ASU.

--Three of UMD's six goals were scored by defenseman in the series (Ty Hanson, Adam Kleber and Aaron Pionk.)

--UMD outshot the Sun Devils in three of four games this season -- UMD was 1-2 in those games, while they tied the lone game they were outshot in.