DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth didn't merely defeat its oldest and most familiar hockey rival Friday night. The ninth-ranked Bulldogs overwhelmed Minnesota with speed, physicality and a devastating second-period power play, rolling to a 7-1 victory before a sellout crowd of 7,052 at Amsoil Arena.
Junior defenseman and captain Ty Hanson scored twice, Hunter Anderson added two goals and brothers Zam and Victor Plante combined for six points as the Bulldogs turned a competitive opening period into one of the most convincing victories over the Gophers in program history.
The six-goal margin was UMD's largest against Minnesota since Feb. 11, 1983, and the Bulldogs' seven goals were their most against the Gophers since a 10-7 loss on Feb. 27, 1999.
For veteran UMD coach Scott Sandelin, however, the most encouraging development wasn't necessarily the seven goals. It was how his team played without the puck, winning battles along the boards, limiting dangerous turnovers and forcing Minnesota to repeatedly begin its offensive rushes deep in its own zone.
"We talked all week about playing more simple, more direct," Sandelin said afterward. "It was a great start."
The Bulldogs improved to 3-1-1 while Minnesota, under first-year coach Brett Larson, fell to 0-3-0. Larson, a former UMD player and longtime assistant under Sandelin, watched his new team surrender three power-play goals in less than two minutes during a disastrous second period.
The Gophers had little answer for UMD's offensive depth, finishing with a 38-25 disadvantage in shots and failing to score on either of their two power-play opportunities.
UMD wasted little time establishing control.
Luke Bibby scored just 1 minute, 8 seconds into the opening period, taking a pass from Jayson Shaugabay and beating Minnesota goaltender Luca Di Pasquo for his second goal of the season. Braden Fischer doubled the lead at 10:32, converting a setup from Blake Bechen for his first goal of the year.
Minnesota finally answered with 1:02 remaining in the period when freshman Jacob Kvasnicka scored his first collegiate goal, using a burst of speed through the neutral zone to beat two defenders and cut UMD's lead to 2-1. Brooks Cullen and Beckett Hendrickson assisted.
But what appeared to be a developing rivalry contest soon became a showcase of the Bulldogs' offensive firepower.
Victor Plante, the youngest of three brothers from Hermantown on the UMD roster, scored his first collegiate goal at 4:58 of the second period, restoring the Bulldogs' two-goal advantage. His older brother Zam collected the assist, beginning an especially productive period for the family.
Then came the sequence that effectively ended the game.
A five-minute boarding major assessed to Minnesota at 9:18 gave UMD an extended power play. Anderson scored at 10:46, followed by Hanson's first goal at 11:48. Just 52 seconds later, Hanson scored again during a two-man advantage, completing a three-goal outburst in 1 minute, 54 seconds.
What had been a 3-1 game suddenly was 6-1, and the Gophers were reeling.
Sandelin credited his power-play units for converting opportunities at a critical stage.
"We had opportunities a few times where you get up two goals," Sandelin said. "We got to work on those because we've had about five this year. We haven't scored on one of them, but we got to put it up maybe three."
The coach acknowledged Minnesota had gained some momentum after its late first-period goal, making the Bulldogs' power-play production particularly significant.
"The power play came through and again, they did what we needed them to do certainly during that timeframe," he said. "And that was huge for us to go into that third with a bigger lead."
Hanson's two goals gave the junior defenseman four for the season and underscored his growing importance as an offensive catalyst from the blue line.
"He's a catalyst for us back there," Sandelin said. "He had a great two years. He's getting better. We count on him a lot."
Victor Plante finished with a goal and two assists, while Zam collected three assists. Shaugabay contributed two assists, extending his productive opening month after registering multiple points in four of UMD's first five games.
Anderson completed the scoring at 4:23 of the third period, taking another setup from Shaugabay for his second goal of the night and third of the season.
The final period was noteworthy for its lack of drama. With a five-goal lead entering the period, the Bulldogs resisted the temptation to trade scoring chances with a Minnesota team capable of creating offense in transition.
Sandelin said the objective was to force the Gophers to work through the entire rink rather than capitalize on careless turnovers near the Bulldogs' defensive zone.
"If you're going to turn pucks over, I'd rather be 200 feet from our net," Sandelin said. "Not on the half wall, not throwing pucks in the middle. It was better tonight, but there's still growth there. We got to keep improving."
The coach was especially pleased with the work of Peyton Platter, Bechen and Fischer, whose line repeatedly controlled possession along the boards and helped drain valuable time from the clock.
"I thought they were outstanding at the end, cycling pucks, killing the clock, playing along the wall," Sandelin said.
He emphasized that those details matter well beyond protecting a comfortable third-period lead.
"You got to win battles," Sandelin said. "You got to win battles all over the rink, all three zones, and it was better than it's been."
Freshman goaltender Carl Axelsson delivered another steady performance for UMD, stopping 24 of 25 shots. Sandelin praised his composure and suggested the Bulldogs' defensive responsibilities should prevent their goaltenders from having to rescue the team too often.
"Calm. Calm," Sandelin said of Axelsson. "Again, it's kind of how he's been for his three games, so we need him to continue and hopefully we can keep playing solid in front of him."
Minnesota's goaltending situation was considerably less reassuring. Di Pasquo allowed four goals on 21 shots before Melvin Strahl entered in relief. Strahl stopped 14 shots but surrendered three goals as the Bulldogs continued to press their advantage.
The Bulldogs finished 3 for 7 on the power play and extended their perfect penalty-killing streak to 22 consecutive successful kills to begin the season.
The performance was especially significant following a disappointing road series at Augustana the previous weekend, when UMD suffered a loss and a tie against a relatively young Division I program.
Friday's victory demonstrated the offensive potential of a team with scoring contributions throughout its lineup and the defensive structure that Sandelin believes will ultimately determine how far the Bulldogs advance this season.
The atmosphere offered another reminder of the rivalry's enduring importance. The sellout represented the 11th-largest crowd in AMSOIL Arena history, with the student section and a building full of supporters providing an energetic backdrop for one of UMD's most impressive performances against Minnesota.
"I love seeing this building like that," Sandelin said. "There was energy in the building. Students were awesome. It's fun for the guys. It gets you into it."
Although the schools no longer compete in the same conference, the rivalry remains important to Sandelin, whose program has developed a particularly strong record against Minnesota since the old Western Collegiate Hockey Association dissolved.
"It is a rivalry, probably bigger for us than them," Sandelin said. "As far as rivalries go, they probably got their biggest one next weekend. But for us, it is a big rivalry going back to WCHA."
The victory was UMD's third consecutive against Minnesota and its first over the Gophers at Amsoil Arena since October 2021.
The teams conclude their two-game nonconference series Saturday at 6:07 p.m., with the Bulldogs seeking a sweep and Minnesota attempting to avoid an 0-4 start.
UMD will also retire the jersey of former standout Dale "Hoagie" Haagenson before the game.
For Sandelin, the message following Friday's emphatic victory was characteristic of a coach who has won three NCAA championships but remains far more interested in the development of his current team than a single impressive October result.
"It was better tonight, but there's still growth there," he said. "We got to keep improving."
Friday night, however, the Bulldogs provided considerably more evidence of their potential than their coach might have been willing to acknowledge.
They were quicker to loose pucks, stronger along the boards, more efficient on special teams and considerably more dangerous offensively than their longtime rivals.
For one memorable October evening in Duluth, the Bulldogs made Minnesota hockey's traditional rivalry look remarkably one-sided.