GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Already this season, UMD has done a few things that have either rarely or never been done in program history.
–> First road season opening two-game sweep ever
–> First time starting a road schedule 6-0 either ever or since 2014-15, depending on how many semantics you want to play
–> First road sweep of Minnesota since November 2009
As the Bulldogs wrap up an NCHC season-opening series against the Fighting Hawks, here’s another chance to do something cool.
UMD has never before started a season 9-1. Not one time. Ever. Win this game, and that happens in 2025-26.
No doubt the Bulldogs will need to be better, play harder, in this game. North Dakota took the game to UMD in a lot of ways on Friday, but Adam Gajan kept his guys afloat long enough for the Brothers Plante to do their thing.
Changes for both teams for this Saturday night special. For UMD, freshmen Hunter Anderson and Ryan Zaremba will come out of the lineup, with Braden Fischer and Blake Bechen serving as Daniel Shlaine’s wings, and Trevor Stachowiak will make his season debut with Kyler Kovich and Luke Bibby on the fourth line. Stachowiak played in two games last season before suffering a season-ending injury during the Bulldogs’ late November bye week. Jake Toll serves as the seventh defenseman for Riley Bodnarchuk.
(I will confirm Anderson and Zaremba are healthy scratches, so watch my BlueSky if there’s anything to report there.)
North Dakota swaps in Cade Littler for Tyler Young, and Andrew Strathmann is the seventh defenseman instead of Jayden Jubenvill. Jan Spunar will get the nod in goal against Gajan.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Plante (Max) – Plante (Zam) – Shaugabay
Truman – Gaffney – Arnott
Fischer – Shlaine – Bechen
Bibby – Kovich – Stachowiak
UMD defense
Hanson – Kleber
Pionk – Pierce
Cleveland – Siepmann
Toll
UMD goalies
Gajan – Dahlmeir – Sheffield
North Dakota forwards
Swanson – Rickwood – Kernan
James – Reschny – Zellers
Croal – Josephson – Strinden
Menghini – Klee – Littler
North Dakota defense
Livanavage – Zmolek
Wiebe – Verhoeff
Laurila – Emery
Strathmann
North Dakota goalies
Spunar – Homer – Sandy
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