Last Friday the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) men’s hockey team showed up big upsetting then-11th ranked Western Michigan 6-3. UMD then dropped game two Saturday in Kalamazoo 5-2.

That split performance however highlighted two Bulldog bright spots. They have an outstanding penalty kill, and goaltending. Netminder Matthew Thiessen tallied 74 saves against the Broncos over the weekend. As for the penality kill, UMD has successfully killed off their past 17 penalties, including eight at Western Michigan.

This Friday the Bulldogs (8-11-4) return home to host 7-13-2 Miami (Ohio), a team they tied with 3-3, then beat 3-1 back in December in Ohio.

“Well, they’re a big, heavy team. To me, I don’t look at records. Still a mystery to me why they are where they are,” UMD head coach Scott Sandelin said. “They’ve got some really good players. In their building, we weren’t ready to play one night and it was 2-0 after the first two shifts. You want to play chase hockey? I don’t care who you’re playing, it’s tough. They’re below us, we want to keep them there. I mean, these are six big points and still our goal is to try and get home ice.”

UMD currently sits sixth in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) with a 4-7-1 conference record. They’re two spots above Miami with a 1-10-1 NCHC record. For full NCHC standings, Click here.

Puck drop between the Bulldogs and RedHawks is Friday and Saturday at 7:07 p.m. at AMSOIL Arena.