Bulldogs complete sweep of Gophers at Mariucci

November 22, 2009 by Howie · Leave a Comment

Friday night’s thrilling overtime victory brought the University of Minnesota Duluth halfway to earning a road sweep over its bitter Western Collegiate Hockey Association rivals from the University of Minnesota. Saturday night saw the Bulldogs finish the job, as UMD netted another back-breaking goal late in the game en route to a 3-2 victory at Mariucci Arena.

The No. 20 Bulldogs looked sluggish early on as they spotted the Gophers a 2-0 lead in the opening period. UMD closed the gap to 2-1 at 6:27 of the second period on a power play goal by sophomore center Jack Connolly. Connolly, the nation’s leading scorer with 21 points, now has 10 goals on the year, matching last season’s total.

Trailing 2-1 after two, the Bulldogs knotted the score on an unassisted goal by junior left wing Kyle Schmidt. Following a Gopher turnover, Schmidt carried the puck up the ice and launched a slapshot past Minnesota’s Alex Kangas. Mike Montgomery (pictured) scored the game-winner for the Bulldogs with 2:02 remaining in regulation.

UMD went 1-for-5 on the power play Saturday night while allowing the Gophers to convert on one of their three chances. The Bulldogs lead the nation with 24 power play goals and have scored at least one goal with the man advantage in 12 of 14 games this season.

Sophomore goaltender Brady Hjelle made 36 saves — including 16 in the first period — as he improved to 6-2-1. Kangas had 30 stops for Minnesota.

Facing a barrage of shots is nothing new to Hjelle, who made a career-high 41 saves in a victory over St. Cloud State University on Oct. 23. The International Falls, Minn., native also holds a Minnesota State High School League record for saves in a regulation game with 74.

“I was used to [facing a lot of shots] growing up and in high school. It’s actually pretty fun when that happens.,” Hjelle said, adding that getting into a rhythm and staying in the game mentally can sometimes be easier with constant pressure from the opposition.

This weekend’s sweep, the first for a Bulldog club at Mariucci arena since 2003-04, runs UMD’s record to 9-4-1 overall and 6-3-1 in the WCHA. Minnesota drops to 4-7-1 overall and 3-6-1 against conference competition.

Following a week off, the Bulldogs will look to take some momentum from their four-point weekend into their home series with the University of North Dakota. UMD will welcome the Fighting Sioux to the DECC Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 with the opening faceoff scheduled for 7:07 both nights.

– Photo: Mike Montgomery scored the game winning goal with 2:02 remaining in Saturday night’s victory over Minnesota. UMD Athletics.