College Men's Hockey

Men’s College Hockey Preview: Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

Posted on by Let's Play Hockey

 

Bulldogs look to turn bark into bite after down season

Talented freshmen look to make an immediate impact

by Dain Solberg, Let’s Play Hockey

DULUTH, Minn.—The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs have had a storied tradition when playoff hockey begins. Their teams seem to always be built to last later in the season. But recently, Scott Sandelin’s squad has had trouble advancing to NCAA Regional play.

Last season the ‘Dogs recorded an overall record of 12-20-5 and an 8-14-2 record in National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play with notable wins over Western Michigan and Omaha. UMD was led by Ben Steeves (Bedford, NH. /Sioux City/USHL) and Owen Gallatin (Hugo, Minn./Fargo/ USHL) who combined for 64 total points in 74 games. In net, Matthew Thiessen (Steinbach, MB. /Maine/ Hockey East) and Zach Stejskal (Cohasset, Minn./ Wilkes-Barre-Scranton/NAHL) manned the crease.

In 2023-24, Thiessen backstopped the Bulldogs in 18 games where he made 500 saves, recording a 3.14 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Stejskal made 20 starts for UMD, turning aside 513 shots and posting a .898 save percentage along with a 3.00 goals against average.

Going into the new campaign, the Maroon and Gold will lose eleven skaters to graduation, including the loss of UMD first-liner Cole Spicer (Grand Forks, N.D./ US National U18/ NDTP). The ‘Dogs top line a season ago was made up of Spicer, Blake Biondi (Hermantown, Minn./ Hermantown/ USHS) and Joey Pierce (Hermantown, Minn./ Lincoln/ USHL).

Biondi has since entered the transfer portal and is at Notre Dame. Spicer also left the program and is in the USHL. Pierce is back and will be wearing an “A” on his sleeve as he looks to mentor a strong younger class coming in who hope to make an impact and turn last year’s down season around.

Keys To Success for the Dog Pound

Solidify top line

Despite breaking up the top line due to the loss of Spicer and Biondi, the Bulldogs have returned Pierce and have brought in transfer Joe Molenaar from the NCHC’s St Cloud State University. Looking at the 2024-25 roster the top-line could consist of Pierce, Molenaar and sophomore Jack Smith (St. Cloud, Minn./Sioux Falls/ USHL). Chances are lines will be juggled early on as Sandelin looks for the right combinations, but he has a lot of skilled players to work with. Molenaar has had a successful career and should bring a wealth of game experience to the lineup.

Goaltending is a question mark

This season, UMD has lost the goaltender tandem of Stejskal and Thiessen who manned the crease for four years in front of the Amsoil Arena faithful. The ‘Dogs return Zach Sandy who has backed up the two starting netminders for the past three seasons, as well as bringing in Freshman Klayton Knapp (Waterville, Ohio. / Bismarck/ NAHL) and Adam Gajan (Poprad, Slovakia/ Green Bay/ USHL)

Homegrown talent-

On the 2024-25, roster the Northern Minnesota pipeline continues as UMD brings in three Hermantown natives, in the “Plante brothers”, Max Plante (Hermantown, Minn./ USNDTP/ U18), Zam Plante (Hermantown, Minn./ Fargo/ USHL), Ty Hanson (Hermantown, Minn./ Sioux City/ USHL) and Aaron Pionk (Hermantown, Minn./ Waterloo/ USHL). The Dogs also bring in a familiar face from Hockeytown, USA in 2023 Mr. Hockey Jayson Shaugabay (Warroad, Minn./ Green Bay/ USHL).

 

Veteran Leadership

UMD returns four seniors and one graduate transfer. The seniors include captain Dominic James (Plymouth, Mi./ Lincoln/ USHL), Owen Gallatin (Hugo, Minn./ Fargo/ USHL), Will Francis (St. Paul, Minn./ Cedar Rapids/ USHL), Carter Loney (Columbus, OH. / Sioux City/ USHL) and transfer Joe Molenaar (Minnetonka, Minn./ St. Cloud State/ NCAA). The five combined for 18 goals and 30 assists a season ago in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Minnesota Duluth defenseman Owen Gallatin (20) skates with the puck against St. Cloud State at Amsoil Arena on Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Duluth.PHOTO COURTESY OF UMD ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Key Losses to Graduation-

Cole Spicer, forward (17 games, five goals, four assists, one game winning goal)

Darian Gotz, defenseman (37 games, zero goals, six assists, zero game winning goals)

Ben Steeves, forward (37 games, 24 goals, 10 assists, six game winning goals)

Quinn Olson, forward (37 games, four goals, 17 assists, zero game winning goals)

Luke Loheit, forward (36 games, 10 goals, 10 assists, zero game winning goals)

Kyler Kleven, forward (26 games, one goals, two assists, zero game winning goals)

Blake Biondi, forward (34 games, eight goals, eleven assists, one game winning goal)

Zach Stejskal, goaltender (20 games, 8-9-3, .898 save percentage, 3.14 GAA)

Matthew Thiessen, goaltender (18 games, 3-11-2, .904 save percentage, 3.00 GAA)

Luke Johnson, forward (26 goals, one goal, two assists, zero game winning goals.)

 2023-24 Scoring Breakdown-

Ben Steeves- 24 goals

Luke Loheit- 10 goals

Blake Biondi- eight goals

Joey Pierce is one of the captains who will lead the Bulldogs on the ice this season. PHOTOS COURTESY OF UMD ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

New Additions-

TRANSFER- Joe Molenaar- St Cloud State (NCHC/NCAA).

Molenaar comes in as a 24-year-old with a wealth of experience and leadership. He is not a dynamic goal scorer or playmaker, but is going to add to the Bulldog roster in other ways.

FR.- Ty Hanson (Hermantown, Minn./Sioux City/ USHL)

Ty Hanson, a Hermantown native, spent last season manning the blueline for the Sioux City Musketeers where he recorded 10 goals and 37 assists in 117 games, this would earn him All-USHL Second Team honors. Before juniors, Hanson tallied 15 goals and 30 assists with the Hermantown Hawks as he led them to a 2022 Class A state title… was named to the All-tournament team.

 

Adam Kleber

FR.- Adam Kleber (Chaska, Minn./ Lincoln/ USHL)

Kleber, a 2024 Buffalo Sabres draft pick, spent last season with the USHL’s Fargo Force tallying five goals and 21 assists. Kleber wore the stars and stripes at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was selected to the 2023 World Jr. A Challenge teams. Kleber spent one season at Chaska high school where he tallied 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 28 total games for the Hawks.

FR.- Max Plante (Hermantown, Minn./ USNDTP)

Max Plante

Plante, who will be joined on the UMD roster by his older brother Zam, spent last season in Ann Arbor, MI. with the USA U18 National Development Program. Plante recorded two goals and seven assists in seven games. One of those goals took place in an exhibition game against the University of Minnesota at Mariucci on Jan. 1, 2024.

 

FR.- Jayson Shaugabay (Warroad, Minn./ Green Bay/ USHL)

Shaugabay, who was a 2023 Tampa Bay Lightning selection, spent the larger half of 2023-24 with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers posting 15 goals and 40 assists for 55 points. The 2023 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award winner led the Warroad Warriors to a Class A runner-up finish against Mahtomedi where he recorded 96 total points over 31 games his senior year. Over his four seasons wearing the Warrior Crest he broke the school record for both career points (304) and goals in a career (112).

FR.- Harper Bentz (Moorhead, Minn./ Fargo/USHL)

Bentz, spent two seasons with the Moorhead Spuds where he tallied 53 goals and 40 assists in 47 career games before joining the Fargo Force for both the 22-23 and 23-24 seasons collecting 22 goals and 30 assists in 111 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Bentz led the Spud to a 2022 Class AA State Tournament appearance where Moorhead fell in a quarterfinal matchup to the Andover Huskies by a score of 2-1.

FR.- Blake Bechen (Dubuque, Iowa/ Green Bay/ USHL)

Bechen has had an unconventional route when it comes to junior hockey. In 2022-23 he began the season with the Youngstown Phantoms where he suited up for 36 games recording four goals and eight assists. Bechen was traded to the Madison Capitols mid-season where he did not see any action, from there he was traded most recently to the Green Bay Gamblers where he recorded 22 goals and 25 assists, this was final junior stop before heading to the University of Minnesota Duluth this season to compete begin his NCAA Division I career in the North Star State.

FR.- Callum Arnott (King City, Ontario/ Penticton/ BCHL)

Arnott began his junior hockey career with the OJHL Oakville Blades where he posted three goals and 10 assists in 10 contests before beginning a career in collegiate hockey with the PHC’s St. Andrew’s College where he recorded nine points. Arnott went back to juniors for the 2022-23 season where he spent two seasons with the British Columbia Hockey League’s (BCHL) Penticton Vees tallying 77 points and captaining the team in 2023-24.

FR.- Zam Plante (Hermantown/ Fargo/ USHL)

Plante, a 2022 Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick, spent last season with the USHL’s Fargo Force tallying 26 goals and 45 assists. Before Fargo, Plante skated with the Chicago Steel recording 23 goals and 15 assists in 33 games. Plante played two seasons with Hermantown high school (53 goals, 72 assists) where he led the Hawks to a 2021 Class A State High School Hockey tournament appearance where Hermantown fell to Dodge County 7-3 in the quarterfinal matchup.

FR.- Adam Gajan (Poprad, Slovakia/ Green Bay/ USHL)

Gajan, a 2023 Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, most recently played with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers where he manned the crease for 43 games in the USHL posting a record of 43-12, collecting a 3.35 GAA and .893 save percentage. Gajan spent one season with the NAHL’s Chippewa Steel (19-12 record, 2.57 GAA, solidified one shutout). In 2023-24, he earned a spot in net for team Slovakia at the U20 World Junior Championships where he put together a 36 save shutout against Team Switzerland.

FR.- Klayton Knapp (Waterville, Ohio. / Bismarck/ NAHL)

Knapp backstopped the Bismarck Bobcats in the NAHL to a 17-8-3 overall record, where he collected five shutouts in 28 games. Before Bismarck, Knapp spent a season with the Green Bay Gamblers and the Austin Bruins. In the North American Hockey League, he was named the Central Division Player of the Week three consecutive times.

FR.- Trevor Stachowiak (Glencoe, Illinois/ Minot/ NAHL)

Stachowiak, spent four seasons in the North American Hockey League with the Minot Minotauros where he captained the team during the 22-23 and 23-24 seasons. Stachowiak recorded 118 total points (36 goals, 82 assists) in 217 total games. Before the NAHL, he played two seasons in the HPHL with the Chicago Mission collecting 13 goals and 15 assists in 37 total contests.

2024-25 Men’s Hockey Roster

Non- Conference Schedule

Oct 5 (exhibition)- Bemidji State

Oct 6 (exhibition)- Manitoba

Oct 11-12- @ UMASS- Lowell

Oct 18-19- Minnesota

Oct 25-16- Stonehill

Dec 31- @Bemidji State

Jan 3-4 – Alaska-Fairbanks