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The No. 9 University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey team will skate in its last road National Collegiate Hockey Conference road series this weekend in Oxford, Ohio when the Bulldogs take on No. 20 Miami Univeristy (OH) inside Goggin Ice Center. The Friday-Saturday series will get underway at 4:30 p.m. CST Friday evening and conclude with a 5:05 p.m. CST start Saturday. 

UMD Men’s Hockey Weekly Press Conference — February 18, 2026 — Head coach Scott Sandelin and senior captain Joey Pierce

HATS OFF TO HOAGIE: A fixture on the UMD hockey bench for over four decades, Dale “Hoagie” Haagenson passed away Tuesday at the age of 65. 

Haagenson joined the UMD men’s hockey staff as a volunteer in 1981 for the 1981-82 season after his school counselor talked to then Bulldog head coach Gus Hendrickson about Haagenson joining the staff. Hendrickson, who knew Haagenson from hockey camps in Babbitt, invited him to UMD – an invite that would make Haagenson the face of the program 44 years later.

Haagenson was a fixture on the Bulldog men’s hockey bench for more than four decades, proudly handling the role as the team’s assistant equipment manager and their inspirational leader. Inducted into the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, he was the recipient of the 2010 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Noel Olson Volunteer of the Year Award. Haagenson was also named the 2000 Bruce Bennett Service Award for exceptional service and commitment to UMD Athletics.  

 

GAJAN’S MAKES OLYMPIC DEBUT: Sophomore goaltender Adam Gajan will miss his second series of the month as the lone men’s hockey collegiate player in the Olympics. Gajan, who is representing Slovakia, is also the first Bulldog named to an Olympic roster since Noah Cates in 2022 (U.S.) and the 15th UMD player to earn an Olympic roster spot in program history.

A native of Poprad, Slovakia, Gajan is just a little over a few weeks removed from earning a silver medal in the 2025 Spengler Cup where he backstopped the U.S. Collegiate Selects in two games — including the championship – and posted a 1-1-0 record with 55 saves in those outings.

While Gajan becomes the 15th Bulldog to skate in the Olympics, he will be just the second UMD goaltender ever make an Olympic roster, joining Bob Mason. Mason skated for the U.S. Olympic Team in 1984.

TO THE WIRE: UMD and St. Cloud State are currently in a fourth place tie for NCHC First Round postseason ice. Both teams are sitting at 28 points, and the Bulldogs have an advantage — UMD has four games left of the regular season and possible 12 points, while the Huskies have just two at North Dakota this weekend.

THAT’S THE GOAL: UMD enters the weekend with 98 points, just one shy of the entire 2024-25 season output (99). The Bulldogs, who are currently averaging 3.3 goals a game, have already scored more goals than the 2022-23 season (95) and are chasing the 103 goals put up in in 2023-24 over 37 games (2.78 per game average).

The last team to average three or more goals a game? The 2020-21 team, who averaged 3.0. UMD’s current goals a game average ranks them in a tie for 15th in the NCAA.

SPECIAL TEAM STEP-UP: The Bulldogs have spent most of the season with the nation’s top power-play, which currently still sits in a tie with Michigan at a 30.6 conversion rate. 33 of UMD’s 98 goals so far this season have been scored with an extra skater, and eight goals have come from Max and Zam Plante. Callum Arnott has also added six power play goals this season.

The Bulldogs on the other hand are almost as equally good on the penalty kill as they are on the power play. UMD sits seventh nationally with a 86.6 kill rate, and has allowed three power play goals over 16 attempts in their last four games.

FIRST TO 40: Max Plante became first NCAA player to reach the mark this season, and the first UMD player to hit the total since UMD defenseman Scott Perunovich rang up 40 (6g, 34a) over 34 games in his Hobey Baker winning season of 2019-20.

Over that past 15 seasons, only two other players besides Perunovich — Alex Iafallo in 2016-17 (51 points in 40 games, 21g, 30a) and Jack Connolly in 2011-12 (60 points in 41 games, 20g, 40a) have hit 40 or more points.

LEAD FROM THE START: UMD has lost just one game this year it didn’t have the lead after the first period, and two it wasn’t leading after 40 minutes.

The Bulldogs are 12-1-0 when leading after one, and 15-2-0 when leading after two periods. Ironically, UMD has scored more goals (37) in the third period than any other frame and allowed slightly more (29).

TO THE MAX: Despite posting just one point over his past four games, sophomore winger Max Plante has spent almost the entire season as the nation’s top scorer.

Plante is currently tied for fourth in the nation with 41 total points, and his 20 goals ranks fifth in the NCAA. He also sits third with five game-winning goals, fifth with eight power play goals, and  sixth with a 1.37 points per game average.  

Plante has posted 12-multiple point games, including three games with four points and five with three points or more.

35 BY THREE: Three players have already logged 35 or more points — Max Plante (41), Zam Plante (38) and Jayson Shaugabay (36). The trio is the first group of three players to post 35 or more points in a season since 2016-17 season, where Alex Iafallo (51), Adam Johnson (37) and Joey Anderson (37) all posted 35 or high point totals.

While those points came in 42 games for Iafallo and Johnson and 39 games for Anderson, defenseman Neal Pionk was point out of the club with 34.

Currently, the Plantes and Shaugabay have reached those marks in 30 games, and their fourth closest player, also a defenseman like Pionk, is Ty Hanson, who is sitting at 28 points.

THE SERIES: UMD will carry an eight-game unbeaten streak against Miami into the weekend after going 3-0-1 last season against the RedHawks. All- time, the Bulldogs are 14-4-2 all-time in Oxford, and unbeaten in their last four games in Goggin Arena dating back to Dec. 8, 2023.

Last 10 Games, UMD vs Miami (7-1-2)

Mar.  1,  2025 1-1 Tie OT Away

Feb. 28, 2025 3-2 Win Away

Nov. 16, 2024 7-2 Win Away

Nov. 15, 2024 5-0 Win Away

Jan. 27, 2024 3-2 Win Home

Jan. 26, 2024 6-2 Win Home

Dec. 9, 2023 3-1 Win Away

Dec. 8, 2023 3-3 Tie Away

Feb. 25, 2023 1-4 Loss Home

Feb. 24, 2023 3-2 Win Home

Top Scoring UMD Players vs Miami

Aaron Pionk — 8 GP, 4a, 4 TP

Ty Hanson — 4 GP, 1g, 3a, 4 TP

Blake Bechen — 4 GP 2g, 1a 3 TP

Jayson Shaugabay — 4 GP 1g, 2a, 3 TP

In their last series back on Feb. 28- March 1, UMD earned 3-2 win and settled for a 1-1 tie and shootout win the following night. 

Friday, UMD scored twice in the first period after the RedHawks struck first, on goals rom Braden Fischer and a power play goal from Callum Arnott. After Miami equalized with 4:36 left in regulation, UMD won it 2:02 into overtime. Adam Gajan had 25 saves in the outing, and UMD outshot the RedHawks 41-27.

Saturday, both sides put 27 shots on goal and both couldn’t score more than a goal in the 1-1 overtime tie. Current Tampa Bay Lightening rookie Dominic James had UMD’s lone goal 7:35 in the first, while Miami finally equalized at 8:59 of the third. Gajan had 26 stops for the Bulldogs.

DAHLMEIR RETURNS: Sophomore goaltender Ethan Dahlmeir returns to Oxford. Last season, Dahlmeir played 14 games between the pipes for Miami, including 13 starts and posted a 4.04 GAA with .870 save percentage. Dahlmeier started in one game against UMD on Nov. 15, a 5-0 win where the then rookie made 24 saves in 60 minutes of action.

LAST TIME OUT:  UMD split with North Dakota back on Feb. 6-7 at AMSOIL Arena.

In game one, a 3-2 overtime win for the Bulldogs, UMD took a 2-0 lead in the second period behind goals from Hunter Anderson and a power play goal from Zam Plante. But Fighting Hawk shorthanded goal midway through the third revamped UND, who equalized with just 1:31 left in regulation. Plante scored his second goal of the night with seven seconds left in overtime to push UMD past UND 3-2. 

The Bulldogs outshot UND 32-24 and held the Fighting Hawks just 10 shots in the first 40 minutes. Ethan Dahlmeir made 22 saves in the outing.

Saturday, the contest was 0-0 through the first 40 minutes, but UND scored two power play goals less than three minutes a part on a UMD major penalty to take a 2-0 lead at 7:35 of the third. Plante scored his third goal of the series at the 12:02 mark to cut it to 2-1, but UND struck at 14:44 and again on the empty net at 17:06 to run their goal total to 4-1. 

North Dakota went 2-of-5 on its power play, shots favored UND 28-26 and Dahlmeir had 24 saves for UMD.

NOTES FROM THE UND SERIES: UMD is now 92-164-11 against UND all-time.

–The Bulldogs win on Friday was the first against UND at home since Jan. 24, 2020.

—Zam Plante’s three goals in the series was the most goals in a series he has scored in his collegiate a career, 

IT’S ON THE LINE: UMD’s top line of Max Plante, Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay continues to be one of the most dangerous in the NCAA this season, currently tops in the NCAA and is now at 115 combined points.

While Max Plante has 41 points in 26 games this season (20g, 21a), Zam has 38 points (14g, 24a) and Shaugabay has 36 points (9g, 27a). 

That offensive haul has again pushed UMD’s top line to the top of the NCAA’s best scoring lines. Currently, the trio together is averaging 3.83 points a game.