Dogs Split with North Dakota

NSO – NEWS RELEASE

Posting a series sweep against any National Collegiate Hockey Conference opponent  is no easy, but doing so against the nation’s top ranking team – and in their own barn – is a mighty tall order.

The University of Minnesota Duluth found that out Saturday in Grand Forks, N.D.

Coming off a 4-1 takedown of the University of North Dakota 24 hours earlier, the No. 7 Bulldogs had their sights on sweeping their long-time rivals for the first time in 20 years. North Dakota understandably had other plans – not to mention a pretty impressive Saturday night track record.

Buoyed by a three-goal second period and a 41-save performance from its goaltender, North Dakota held off UMD 5-2 in the final two regular season meeting between the two clubs.  Sophomore defenseman Willie Raskob figured in on both UMD scores, giving the Bulldogs its lone lead of the night 7:10 with his second goal of the year – and his career – off a rebound  and then picked up the first assist on senior right winger Justin Crandall‘s power play tally at 4:04 at the third. In between, North Dakota struck for four goals, including three in a seven-minute span midway through the middle period, while improving to 10-0-1 on Saturdays this winter.

The Bulldogs (13-7-0 overall; 8-4-0-0 NCHC) launched a season-high 77 shots and for the 17^th time in 20 games this season, put more pucks on net than the opposition (43-33).  UMD’s Kasimir Kaskisuo, the winningest rookie netminder in the nation, lost for just the fifth time in 18 starts (12-5-0).

UMD will return to AMSOIL Arena for the first time in six weeks next Friday to open a two-game NCHC set with Western Michigan University.

Notes: UMD went 1-for-5 on the power play and surrendered its first man advantage goal in four games (North Dakota was 1-for 3) …. The Bulldogs set a 2014-15 single-game mark for penalties with 11, eight of which were assessed in the third period … Freshman center Jared Thomas registered his first point since Halloween night with a second-period assist.