The No. 6/7 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will welcome Miami University (Ohio) to AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. for a National Collegiate Hockey Conference series this Friday and Saturday. Friday's game against the RedHawks will get underway at 7:07 p.m., while Saturday will get underway at 6:07 p.m.


The Bulldogs, who will wear their new maroon throwback jersey for the series, will host their annual Green Bandana Game in support of mental health awareness on Friday. Saturday, UMD will host Military Appreciation Night, which will feature a 20 yard flag for the national anthem, Red Cross holiday card signing for deployed troops and invited members of the 148th Fighter Wing in attendance.


UMD Weekly Press Conference -- Head coach Scott Sandelin and junior defenseman Adam Kleber --



STILL MISSING MAX: UMD's junior forward captain Max Plante will be unavailable this weekend with an upper body injury. Redshirt sophomore forward Trevor Stachowiak also remains unavailable.

SANDELIN CLOSES IN ON 500: Bench boss Scott Sandelin is at 499 wins at UMD, just one shy of joining the 500 win club. Only 23 Division I coaches have reached the mark, and just nine coaches before Sandelin did it all at one school.

Sandelin currently ranks third in wins among all active Division I men's hockey head coaches. The lone active coach with three NCAA titles, Sandelin is one of 12 coaches ever to run up 499 or more wins with the same school.

UMD as a program has had incredible stability from its head coach position for 51 seasons -- since the 1975-76 season, the Bulldogs have had just three head coaches -- Gus Henderickson (1975-76 to 1981-82, Mike Sertich (1982-83 to 1999-00 and Sandelin, who has been with UMD since the 2000-01 season.

As a program, the Bulldogs are in season No. 83. All-time, UMD is 1,265-1,222-184.

HANSON'S HOT: Named the NCHC's Goaltender of the Month Wednesday and already a three-time NCHC Defenseman of the Week Ty Hanson has begun the season where he left off the last one -- as one of the nation's most offensive defensemen. Hanson is not just currently the NCAA's top scoring defenseman with eight goals and six assists for 14 points, he's one of the top point getters in the nation among all skaters. The Hermantown, Minn. product is tied for second among all skaters in goals, tied for first in power play goals (3), second in goals scored (7) and is tied for third in points.

Hanson ranks sixth in the NCAA in time on ice (25:27) and 12th with a +9 plus/minus rating. The captain has logged points in nine-of-10 games and already has four multiple point games.

In 86 games over his UMD career -- (86 consecutive games, at that), Hanson has rung up 22 goals and 42 assists for 64 points.

HANSON'S STILL STREAKING: Ty Hanson is on a four-game scoring streak after opening the season on a five-point scoring bender.

The defenseman has logged a point in nine of his last 10 games, and is currently on a four goal, two assist six point four-game streak.

AXELSSON'S HOT START: While the second period in Saturday's game broke his nine period shutout-strreak, rookie goaltender Carl Axelsson currently is owns the most shutouts in the NCAA (3) and has the lowest GAA among all goaltenders that have played four or games or more). The product of Danderyd, Sweden is 5-1-2, was the first rookie netminder to be unbeaten through their first seven starts since Hunter Miska went 6-0-1 through seven starts over the 2016-2017 season (Oct. 10-Nov. 5, 2016). He's also the first goaltender since Miska to post three shutouts in his first seven starts.

PENALTY KILLERS: The Bulldogs have allowed just two power play goal this season, and are an impressive 25-of-27 for a NCAA sixth-best 92.6 success rate among teams that have played three or more games. In fact UMD opened the season with 21-consecutive kills. 

The Bulldogs wrapped up the 2025-26 with the second-ranked PK and a kill rate of 88.8 (111 of 125 opponent attempts). UMD also has one shorthanded goal this season (Ty Hanson).

ON THE OFFENSIVE: The Bulldogs may be missing Hobey Baker winner Max Plante, but it hasn't stopped the goals from coming. UMD has scored 35 goals through 10 games -- the fourth most in the NCAA -- and is averaging 3.5 goals a game.

14 different Bulldogs have scored through those 10 games, including seven with two more more and six with three or more. Five players are averaging a point a game -- Ty Hanson and Jayson Shaugabay at 1.40 ppg, Hunter Anderson at 1.10 ppg and Zam and Max Plante, who are at 1.00. (Max Plante logged two points in his opening two games of the season.)

UMD also has three players in the top-13 in the NCAA in scoring -- Hanson in third (14 points), Shaugabay in fifth with 12 and Hunter Anderson in 13th with 11.

SHOOT YOUR SHOT: UMD leads the NCAA with 327 shots over 10 games for a 32.7 shots per game average. The Bulldogs have outshot its opponents by a wide margin so far this year, 327-227. The Bulldogs are 5-1-2 when outshooting their opponents so far this season.

COMING IN THIRD: UMD has scored 15 of its 35 goals in the third period, despite having put up its fewest shots in that frame.

THE SERIES: UMD holds a 37-7-5 all-time lead over the RedHawks, and is unbeaten in its last 10 games against Miami. The Bulldogs are 19-2-3 all-time in Duluth and have not suffered a loss in AMSOIL against Miami since Feb. 25, 2023. UMD is 3-0-1 since then at home. Before the two sides became NCHC foes, their first-ever meeting came in the 2009 NCAA West Regional Semifinal in Minneapolis, Minn. The RedHawks defeated UMD 2-1, despite a late push by the Bulldogs and goal from MacGregor Sharp with 2:01 left in the third period.

UMD has a program has averaged 3.48 goals a game all-time against the RedHawks.

Last 10 Games, UMD vs Miami (8-0-2)

Feb. 21, 2026 4-1 Win Away

Feb. 20, 2026 5-2 Win Away

Mar.  1,  2025 1-1 Tie OT Away

Feb. 28, 2025 3-2 Win Away

Nov. 16, 2024 7-2 Win Away

Nov. 15, 2024 5-0 Win Away

Jan. 27, 2024 3-2 Win Home

Jan. 26, 2024 6-2 Win Home

Dec. 9, 2023 3-1 Win Away

Dec. 8, 2023 3-3 Tie Away

Top Scoring UMD Players vs Miami

Aaron Pionk -- 10 GP, 1-5=6

Jayson Shaugabay -- 6 GP 2-5=7 

Max Plante -- 4 GP 1g, 5a=6

Ty Hanson -- 6 GP, 1-4=5

Jayson Shaugabay -- 6 GP 2-5=7

In their last meeting last season on Feb. 20-21, UMD swept Miami (OH) by scores of 5-2 and 4-1 in Oxford, Ohio to lock down home first round NCHC ice.

The Bulldogs fell behind 2-0 less than seven minutes into the second period, but stormed back with four unanswered goals, kicked off by a power play goal from Hunter Anderson at 12:34 of the second. Max Plante added a goal late in the second, and Scout Truman (PP), Jayson Shaugabay and Callum Arnott (EN) all added goals in the the third period. UMD went 2-of-5 on its power play and outshot the RedHawks 32-29.

UMD had three-straight goals in the second period Saturday to break open the contest, started by Aaron Pionk. Anderson and Truman then both added their second power play goals of the series, and Max Plante netted an empty net goal with 1:09 left in the third. UMD again went 2/5 on the power play, and Miami outshot the Bulldogs 25-21.

Ethan Dahlmeir made 51 saves in the series and earned two wins against his former team.

In that series, UMD's penalty kill held the RedHawks scoreless in 11 power play attempts, including seven attempts in game two.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD split with then No. 9 Colorado College last weekend in Colorado Springs by scores of a 1-0 Friday night win and a 5-3 setback Saturday.

Friday night, Ty Hanson scored his NCAA-leading third game-winning goal 17:04 into the third period to break the scoreless stalmate and push UMD to its first NCHC win of the season. Carl Axelsson had 20 saves and both teams put 20 shots on goal. The Bulldogs also didn't commit a penalty for the first time since online box scores have been maintained -- at least before the 1999-2000 season.

Saturday night the Tigers overcame the Bulldogs with four goals in the second period, including a shorthanded goal to beat UMD. The Bulldogs netted two goals, including their third at 17:31 of the third to pull within one, but CC had an empty net goal at 19:33 to douse any comeback attempts. UMD outshot the Tigers 32-23 -- Axelsson had 18 saves on the night in his first collegiate loss.

NOTES ON THE COLORADO COLLEGE SERIES: The Bulldogs are now 113-92-13 all-time against CC and 50-53-7 in Colorado Springs. UMD is 3-5-2 in its last 10 games against the Tigers.

--Ty Hanson led all scorers with a goal and an assist on the weekend and extended his current scoring streak to four games (4g, 2a).