UMD Athletics

The No. 6/7 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team bounced back Saturday night in AMSOIL Arena and picked up a 2-1 win over Miami University (Ohio) that doubled historically as head coach Scott Sandelin's 500th win at the helm of the Bulldogs

Sandelin's squad used special teams to get back in the win column, which was all Sandelin really cared about postgame.

"I really, really liked our team, I thought we got closer to where we need to be at," said Sandelin. "I thought we played this game like it really meant something, and it did. I thought it was a really good, hard fought win, Miami's a really difficult team to play against. Obviously I thought their goaltender made some outstanding saves, we probably played well enough to have more than two goals, but that's how the game goes. I thought our guys did a great job of closing it out at the end."

With the win, Sandelin became just the 18th NCAA DI coach ever to reach the mark and the ninth to reach it at one school.

Sandelin's special teams cashed in twice Saturday night, with one goal coming with an extra skater and the other down one. 

Zam Plante scored the first goal of the game on the power play, unloading a feed from right circle off a pass from Hunter Anderson at 14:37 of the first frame to take the 1-0 lead.

UMD's second goal came on the penalty kill, a 2-on-1 opportunity between Cade Kohanski and Ty Hanson that Hanson finished for his 10th goal of the season to put the Bulldogs up 2-0 just 1:51 into the second period. Hanson's assist on UMD's first goal extended his current scoring streak to a career-best six games, and his goal – his second point of the night – was his six goal in six games and ninth point over those same games (6g, 3a).

Miami cut the Bulldogs lead in half at 12:01 of the second period, but the RedHawks would come no closer. UMD outshot Miami 28-23, including 6-2 in the third period alone and the Bulldogs got 22 stops from freshman goaltender Carl Axelsson. Even more impressively, UMD held Miami scoreless in five power play attempts while going 1-of-5 on its own.

"it's huge,?I mean, he's a legend in college hockey, I mean hockey really in general," said team captain Hanson when asked about Sandelin's milestone. "I mean, me and Zam and all the kind of local guys have watched him since we could barely skate. And now just seeing him get that 500th one, I mean, it means a lot to to help, but also just to yourself and UMD and college hockey in general."

The Bulldogs (7-3-2, 2-2-0) will head to St. Cloud, Minn. next week to face St. Cloud State University. The Friday-Saturday series will get underway Friday night at 7:00 p.m. inside Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

BULLDOG NOTES: Ty Hanson's career-long scoring streak has put him tied for the NCAA with 10 goals … Hanson also sits third in the nation with 17 points … Hanson also has the most game-winning goals (3) … Jayson Shaugabay has the second most assists with 12 … Carl Axelsson has the fourth lowest GAA among goaltenders who have played four or more games (1.29) and is tied for the fifth most wins (7) … the Bulldogs as a team have the nation's leading penalty kill with 94.1 … UMD has allowed just two goals in 34 opponent power play attempts this season and held Miami scoreless on seven chances in the series.