Minnesota Duluth had a chance to impress some alumni Saturday night as the DECC's 40th anniversary was celebrated.
Eight members of the 1966-67 team, which opened the Duluth Arena on Nov. 19, 1966 with a win over Minnesota, were part of a sellout crowd of 5,447 on hand to see this edition of the Bulldogs take on the No. 2 Gophers in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association men's game.
UMD felt it had a score to settle after a one-goal loss Friday when a first-period goal was disallowed. The Bulldogs didn't fully recover as Minnesota went on to take a three-goal lead in the opening game of the series and held on.
The rematch was won by the Gophers 3-2 in overtime.
Saturday's first shot on goal gave UMD the lead, coming eight seconds into the first power play. The Bulldogs connected at 4:00 as winger Mason Raymond scored to the near side by goalie Jeff Frazee from the right circle.
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Minnesota earned a 1-1 tie after one period on its first power play with 3:54 left. Center Blake Wheeler tipped an Erik Johnson shot past freshman goalie Alex Stalock, starting his eighth straight game. Each team had seven shots on goal.
The only goal of the second period came on a delayed penalty after UMD's Jordan Fulton was hooked coming up ice. He maintained control of the puck, getting it to fellow winger Bryan McGregor, who lifted a shot over Frazee with 6:29 left for a 2-1 lead. Stalock had reached the bench on the delayed call for another attacker, but the extra body wasn't needed.
Much of the first two periods featured neutral-ice play as both teams played defense first. UMD hit two pipes - by Fulton in the game's first four minutes and defenseman Josh Meyers with 9:20 left in the second. Minnesota led 16-15 in shots after 40 minutes.
The Gophers tied the game at 5:50 of the third period on a second power-play goal. Captain Mike Vannelli, a defenseman, scored from the right circle as Minnesota put on serious pressure.
The Gophers (7-1 and 3-0 in the WCHA) came into the rematch with a seven-game win streak and 15-game road unbeaten streak (12-0-3) excluding neutral site games.
UMD (2-3-2 and 1-3-1), wearing throwback jerseys, was fighting to stay near .500 after three weeks of facing programs that have won the last five Division I titles. The Bulldogs had gone 1-2-1 against Wisconsin and Denver.
The Bulldogs are at Michigan Tech this Friday and Saturday.
Minnesota.....1-0-1--2
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Minnesota Duluth....1-1-0--2
First period - 1. UMD, Mason Raymond 3 (MacGregor Sharp, Matt Niskanen), 4:00 (pp); 2. Minnesota, Blake Wheeler 5 (Erik Johnson, Ben Gordon), 16:06 (pp). Penalties - Blake Wheeler, Minnesota (high-sticking), 3:52; Kyle Okposo, Minnesota (tripping), 11:27; Logan Gorsalitz, UMD (interference), 15:38; Mike Carman, Minnesota (interference), 16:35.
Second period - 3. UMD, Bryan McGregor 2 (Jordan Fulton), 13:31 (delayed penalty). Penalties - Niskanen, UMD (holding), 8:05; Michael Gergen, UMD (roughing), 14:47; Tony Lucia, Minnesota (roughing), 14:47; Sharp, UMD (holding), 19:26.
Third period - 4. Minnesota, Mike Vannelli 2 (Tyler Hirsch, Okposo), 5:50 (pp). Penalties - Niskanen, UMD (slashing), 4:22; Ryan Stoa, Minnesota (roughing), 8:46.
Shots on goal - Minnesota 7-9-0-16, UMD 7-8-0-15. Goalies - Jeff Frazee (4-1), Minnesota (15 shots-13 saves); Alex Stalock (2-3-2), UMD (16 shots-15 saves). Power plays - Minnesota 2-for-4, UMD 1-of-4. Referee - Don Adam. Assistants - Tony Lancette, Brad Shepherd. A - 5,447.
