Women’s hockey is riding a seven-game winning streak, men’s basketball won their opening games, football stayed undefeated in Minot State last weekend but perhaps the most exciting wins this weekend came from the men’s hockey program. UMD (8-4-0, 4-2-0 NCHC) took on the now No. 4 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers last weekend. It’s a team the Bulldog hockey faithful love to hate and one the Bulldog hockey team loves to play.
After losing their first bout of the season to the Gophers, No. 8 UMD took home a commanding 3-0 win in Minneapolis before returning to Duluth to win a second straight game, this time 2-1. Not only that, but between the two games the Bulldogs allowed only 43 shots on net in 120 minutes of play.
The Bulldogs knew that they’d have continue to get quick starts coming out against the then No. 1 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The fast starts and go-ahead goals were key in their sweep of St. Cloud State the previous weekend, and it did it for them against Minnesota.
It took just over two minutes for the Bulldogs to put themselves on the board this weekend as Austin Farley buried a rebound to put UMD up 1-0. With that go ahead goal on Friday, the eventual game winner, Farley now has seven goals in eight games against the Gophers.
The Bulldogs allowed only 12 shots on net in the two opening periods combined, and sophomore forward Dominic Toninato scored Saturday’s opening goal only 29 seconds into play.
“It’s probably the best feeling to beat them,” Toninato said.
His contributions were an important part of both weekend sweeps, putting UMD in the national poll top 10 for the first time since 2012.
Both Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud and Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis house Olympic-sized ice sheets, which are 15 feet wider than the National Hockey League regulation-sized rink that UMD has at AMSOIL Arena. The big ice didn’t seem to bother the Bulldogs however, as they won all three road contests before heading back to play at AMSOIL where they’d chalk up yet another victory.
A Bulldog athlete who’s used to seeing the larger ice sheets is rookie goaltender, Kasimir Kaskisuo. The Finnish netminder grew up playing on the larger sheets, as is regulation in Europe, and said adjusting between the different surfaces didn’t bother him.
“I like the smaller ice better actually, but I guess the big sheet was working too,” he said.
Kaskisuo was holding down a 149-minute shutout streak until the Gophers got their only goal of the weekend during the third period of Saturday’s game. It was enough to earn Kaskisuo not only the team’s MVP award, but also the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Goaltender of the Week.
“He’s been consistent, when there’s been a timely save he’s given it to us,” head coach Scott Sandelin said. “There hasn’t been an easy goal allowed.”
BY NICOLE BRODZIK Sports Editor