The No. 8 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will travel to Grand Forks, N.D. Saturday to face the No. 2 University of North Dakota in the first-ever National Collegiate Hockey Conference home hosted Frozen Faceoff game. One of two semifinal games on the site of the higher-seed, the Bulldogs and Hawks will drop the puck in Ralph Engelstad Arena Saturday at 6:00 p.m.


UMD IN THE NCHC POSTSEASON: In NCHC postseason games played, the Bulldogs are 21-14 overall, and 4-2 in the NCHC Frozen Four Semifinals. 

UMD returns to a semifinal game for the first time since the 2021-22 season -- the last time they won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. Since then, 

All-time, UMD owns three NCHC Frozen Faceoff titles -- 2022, 2019 and 2017.

HOT ZAM: There is arguably no offensively hotter player in the NCAA right now than sophomore forward Zam Plante. Plante has scored six goals over his last three games -- literally putting up a three-game streak of two goals a game. Two of those goals were game-winning overtime goals, while three of them were game-tying goals in the final minute of all three games to send them into overtime. Two of Plante's six goals were also power play tallies.

Last Saturday was also Plante's 15th multiple point game this season and sixth game with two goals.

In all, Plante has 44 points on 20 points and 24 assists.

A TRIO OF 40: Three players have crossed the 40 points threshold -- Max Plante (47) and Zam Plante (44) and Jayson Shaugabay (41).

The last time the Bulldog program had three players register 40 or more points? 2011-12, when Jack Connolly (60), Travis Olesuk (53) and J.T. Brown (47) all blew past the 40-point mark.

SPECIAL TEAM STEP-UP: The Bulldogs have spent most of the season with the nation's top power-play, which currently sits at an NCAA-second best at 29.5. 39 of UMD's 116 goals so far this season have been scored with an extra skater, and 10 goals have come from Zam Plante and eight from Max Plante. Callum Arnott has also added six power play goals this season.

The Bulldogs on the other hand are almost as equally good on the penalty kill as they are on the power play. UMD sits second nationally with a 88.9 kill rate, and has not allowed a power play goal over its last six games, holding opponents scoreless in their last 20 attempts. In fact, the Bulldogs have allowed just two power play goals over their last 32 attempts.

WINNING IS IN: UMD's 22 wins is the most it's posted in a season since the 2021-22. That year, the Bulldogs went 22-16-4 overall, and that included four wins in the NCHC postseason (and NCHC Tournament title) and two NCAA games.

THAT'S THE GOAL: UMD has scored 116 goals so far this season -- the most since 2018-19 season where the Bulldogs compiled 133 in 42 games -- a 3.16 goals per game average. The Bulldogs scored 114 over the COVID-19 cancelled 34 game season for a 3.35 goals per game average. This season, far from complete, UMD has scored 116 in 36 games -- a 3.2 goals a game average.

The last team to average three or more goals a game? The 2020-21 team, who averaged 3.0. UMD's current goals a game average (3.23) ranks them in 18th in the the NCAA.

TO THE MAX: Max Plante has spent almost the entire season as the nation's top scorer.

Currently in fifth the nation with 45 total points, Plante's 22 goals rank seventh in the NCAA. He also sits seventh with five game-winning goals, sixth with eight power play goals, and eighth with a 1.31 points per game average.  

Plante has posted 14-multiple point games, including three games with four points and five with three points or more.

IT'S ON THE LINE: UMD's top line of Max Plante, Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay continues to be one of the most dangerous in the NCAA this season, currently tops in the NCAA and is now at 133 combined points.

While Max Plante has 47 points in 36 games this season (22g, 25a), Zam has 45 points (20g, 25a) and Shaugabay has 41 points (10g, 31a). 

That offensive haul has again pushed UMD's top line to the top of the NCAA's best scoring lines. Currently, the trio together is averaging 3.69 points a game.

THE NCHC POSTSEASON VS NORTH DAKOTA: In NCHC post season play against North Dakota, UMD is 2-1 all-time. Their last meeting was in 2018, a 4-1 Hawks win over the Bulldogs in the third place game by a score of 4-1.

The Bulldogs two wins include a 4-3 NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship victory in 2017, and a semifinal win in 2016 by a 4-2 score.

REGULAR SEASON VS THE HAWKS: The Bulldogs and Hawks split twice over the regular season, with both of UMD's wins coming in overtime. UND outscored the Bulldogs 14-9 in those four games and averaged 29.5 shots a game compared to UMD's 25.5. The Plante brothers posted the most points against UND those four skates -- Max had seven (4g, 3a) and Zam six (2g, 4a).

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

Feb. 7, 2026 1-4 Loss Home

Feb. 6, 2026  3-2 Win Home

Nov. 1, 2025 1-5 Loss Away

Oct. 31, 2025 4-3 Win OT Away

Feb. 22, 2025 1-6 Loss Away

Feb. 21, 2025 2-4 Loss Away

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

Top UMD Career Scorers vs SCSU

Zam Plante, 8 GP 10 points (5g, 5a)

Jayson Shaugabay, 8 GP 8 points (3g, 5a)

Max Plante, 8 GP 7 points (5g, 4a)

Adam Gajan, 4-2-0 record, 12 goals against in six games 

UMD split with the Hawks in their last head-to-head on Feb. 6-7 at AMSOIL Arena. The Bulldogs pulled off a 3-2 overtime win on Friday night before losing 1-4 the following evening.

In game one, a 3-2 overtime win for the Bulldogs, UMD took a 2-0 lead in the second period behind goals from Hunter Anderson and a power play goal from Zam Plante. But Fighting Hawk shorthanded goal midway through the third revamped UND, who equalized with just 1:31 left in regulation. Plante scored his second goal of the night with seven seconds left in overtime to push UMD past UND 3-2, the Bulldogs first win home since Jan. 24, 2020.

The Bulldogs outshot UND 32-24 and held the Fighting Hawks just 10 shots in the first 40 minutes. Ethan Dahlmeir made 22 saves in the outing.

Saturday, the contest was 0-0 through the first 40 minutes, but UND scored two power play goals less than three minutes a part on a UMD major penalty to take a 2-0 lead at 7:35 of the third. Plante scored his third goal of the series at the 12:02 mark to cut it to 2-1, but UND struck at 14:44 and again on the empty net at 17:06 to run their goal total to 4-1. 

North Dakota went 2-of-5 on its power play, shots favored UND 28-26 and Dahlmeir had 24 saves for UMD.

Of note, Zam Plante's three goals in the series was the most goals in a series he had scored in his collegiate a career before he rang up four last weekend against St. Cloud State.

LAST TIME OUT:  UMD swept St. Cloud State last weekend at AMSOIL in the NCHC Quarterfinals in two come-from-behind overtime wins by scores of 4-3 Friday and 2-1 Saturday.

The Bulldogs never led for a minute in regulation over the series, and were down 3-2 in the third period despite goals from Kyle Gaffney in the second and Adam Kleber in the third period.

With 23 seconds left in regulation, Zam Plante redirected a Ty Hanson shot from the point on goal and into the twine to equalize, and then Plante did it again 3:30 into the overtime to take game one from the Huskies. UMD was 1-of-5 on its power play -- Plante's OT game-winner was on the power play -- while holding the Huskies scoreless in three attempts. UMD outshot SCSU 39-24 in the game.

The Huskies again struck first Saturday night, 8:44 into the first period. But again Plante delivered the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation -- this time with 31 seconds left, and again scored the game-winner 5:11 into overtime. 

Neither team scored on three power play attempts and UMD outshot the Huskies 45-28 in the contest. In addition to Zam's two goals, Max Plante also added an assist on each of his brother's tallies.

NOTES FROM THE SCSU SERIES:  The Bulldogs went 5-1 against SCSU over the entire season and end on a three-game winning streak against the Huskies ... UMD is 8-2 in its last 10 games against SCSU and now 73-85-11 all-time.

--UMD is 14-10 all-time in the NCHC Quarterfinals, and 11-2 quarterfinal games at AMSOIL Arena. 

--The Bulldogs also dominated from the dot -- 78-52 -- Kyle Gaffney went 22-10.

--Zam Plante  -- who has now scored six goals in his last three games, which includes three-game tying goals to send games into overtime and two game-winning overtime goals -- had three, two-goal games against the Huskies this season and finishes his damage against SCSU with seven goals and four assists for 11 points over six games. That also includes three-game winners over the Huskies. Saturday was Plante's 15th multiple point game this season and sixth game with two goals.

--With an assist in both games last weekend, Ty Hanson is currently on a three-game scoring streak, tying Plante for the longest current scoring streak.