DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth needed 40 minutes to find its offensive rhythm Friday night, and once the Bulldogs found it, Bemidji State had little chance of stopping them.
The nationally ranked Bulldogs scored three goals in a span of 7 minutes, 47 seconds in the third period, turning a precarious one-goal lead into a 4-1 nonconference college men's hockey victory over the Beavers at Amsoil Arena.
Callum Arnott, Zam Plante and Ty Hanson scored during the decisive third-period surge as No. 9/8 UMD improved to 4-1-2 heading into Saturday night's rematch at Bemidji State.
The final score suggested a comfortable victory. Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin saw something considerably different.
"The first 40 minutes were not very good," said Sandelin. "We had no choice but to win the third period. I'll take the win, but I think we got pretty lucky. I thought Carl (Axelsson) was good for us, and I was really disappointed to see him give up the goal, he made a bad decision there, especially closing out a game, but we'll move on from it. We'll take the win for sure, but we've got to be a lot better tomorrow."
It was a revealing assessment from a coach whose team has demonstrated considerable offensive potential during the opening weeks of the season but still has work to do to establish the consistency necessary to compete against the nation's elite programs.
The Bulldogs led only 1-0 through two periods despite holding a 21-17 advantage in shots. Bemidji State (1-3-0) remained within striking distance, creating enough pressure to keep freshman goaltender Carl Axelsson busy.
UMD finally broke through in the opening two minutes of the third period when Arnott scored his third goal of the season on a shot from between the blue line and faceoff circle, doubling the Bulldogs' advantage.
Plante followed approximately six minutes later, scoring from nearly the same area on an even-man rush to make it 3-0.
The Bulldogs weren't finished.
Just 1:48 after Plante's goal, Victor Plante set up Hanson at the back post for a tap-in during four-on-four play at 9:47, giving UMD its fourth goal and effectively putting the game beyond Bemidji State's reach.
Hanson also delivered one of the game's defining defensive plays.
Early in the first period, Axelsson left his crease to play the puck, only to see Bemidji State gain possession with an opportunity at an exposed net. Hanson moved into the crease and blocked the point-blank attempt, preserving a scoreless game.
That defensive intervention became increasingly important as UMD struggled to separate itself from the Beavers during the first two periods.
Luke Bibby finally opened the scoring at 6:51 of the first period, batting an airborne puck into the net after it deflected off the crossbar. It was Bibby's third goal of the season.
Bemidji State held an 11-10 advantage in first-period shots, but UMD reversed that margin with an 11-6 edge in the second. Still, the Bulldogs were unable to extend their lead until their third-period outburst.
Axelsson finished with 26 saves and improved his record to three victories without a loss through five appearances.
The freshman appeared headed for his second shutout before Bemidji State scored with 21 seconds remaining, denying him another clean sheet and drawing Sandelin's criticism over the late defensive breakdown.
Despite the goal, Axelsson continues to establish himself as an important part of UMD's early-season success. His 0.97 goals-against average is the lowest nationally among goaltenders who have appeared in at least four games. His 309 minutes played rank seventh in the NCAA.
UMD finished with a 32-27 advantage in shots, while Bemidji State goaltender Max Hildebrand made 28 saves. Neither team scored on the power play. The Bulldogs finished 0-for-1 with the man advantage, while the Beavers were 0-for-2.
Nine Bulldogs recorded at least one point, with Zam Plante leading the way with a goal and an assist. His two-point performance continued an impressive career record against Bemidji State.
Plante has 12 points in five career games against the Beavers, including five goals and seven assists, an average of 2.4 points per game. Jayson Shaugabay, who contributed an assist Friday, has matched that 12-point production against Bemidji State with six goals and six assists in five games.
Those numbers underscore the offensive depth UMD possesses when its most talented players are creating opportunities.
But the larger question coming out of Friday's victory is whether the Bulldogs can establish that kind of pressure over 60 minutes rather than relying on a brief, decisive scoring burst.
Sandelin's assessment made clear that beating Bemidji State by three goals was not enough to satisfy him, particularly with the Beavers getting another opportunity on their home ice less than 24 hours later.
The teams conclude their home-and-home series Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.
For UMD, the assignment is straightforward: Build on the explosive third period, eliminate the uneven play that preceded it and demonstrate that its early-season success is sustainable.