North Dakota Routs Minn Duluth 6-2

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — To say North Dakota is on a roll is an understatement.

One week after scoring a National Collegiate Hockey Conference record nine goals, 11th-ranked UND coasted to a 6-2 win over No. 20 Minnesota-Duluth.

Paul LaDue scored two of North Dakota's three power-play goals in a four-goal second period. With the win, North Dakota (18-9-3, 13-7-0) remained tied for first in the conference with St. Cloud State. UND is 14-2-1 in its last 17 games.

Dillon Simpson had a goal and an assist and Rocco Grimaldi, Bryn Chyzyk and Jordan Schmaltz had two assists apiece. Colten St. Clair also scored, joining 12 different players on the stat sheet.

UND goal Zane Gothberg made 31 saves to improve to 11-0-1 in his last 12 games.

The Bulldogs (13-13-4, 8-10-2), took a 2-1 lead in the first period on goals by Kyle Osterberg and Caleb Herbert. But that wasn't enough to keep UMD from dropping its fourth straight game.

Tucked in between offensive explosions was Gothberg's 3-0 shutout on Friday. Gothberg improved to 11-0-1 in his last 12 games.

UMD goalie Matt McNeely made 21 saves in the first period as the Bulldogs (13-13-4, 8-10-2) tool a 2-1 lead on goals by Kyle Osterberg and Caleb Herbert.

But Dillon Simpson's power-play goal in the second chased McNeely, who was replaced by Aaron Crandall. McNeely finished with 28 saves and Crandall six.

Mitch MacMillan scored his first goal in almost a year to get UND on the board early in the first period.

Osterberg answered less than two minutes later and Herbert scored at 13:37 to make it 2-1.

"If things don't fall your way early on at least you have a chance to recover," UND coach Dave Hakstol said. "We had a real good first period. We gave up two home run opportunities to the wrong guys. We just kept pushing and specialty teams made the difference in the second."

UND took a season-high 22 shots on goal in the first period, but McNelly was solid. That changed in the second when he allowed four goals in just over seven minutes, three of them with a man advantage.

UND had four power-play goals in the series. "Of late, they have been on the positive side on the ledger," Hakstol said of his power play.

UMD, meanwhile, was 0-for-3 on the power play.

LaDue, Michael Parks and Simpson had goals in the outburst.

UND, which has a tie-breaker lead in conference wins but shares the points lead with St. Cloud State, plays two games next weekend in St. Cloud.

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