No. 7 Minnesota Duluth beat St. Cloud State 4-0 Friday, with four Bulldogs scoring and goalie Carl Axelsson stopping all 28 shots for his fourth shutout of the season. UMD scored once in each period before adding an empty-net goal to secure the series opener.

By the Numbers
  • UMD outshot St. Cloud State 33-28.
  • The Bulldogs went 1-for-4 on the power play; St. Cloud State went 0-for-1.
  • Axelsson has a 1.17 goals-against average and four shutouts in 11 games.
  • Ty Hanson has 19 points this season, including 11 in his last seven games.
  • UMD’s penalty kill is operating at 94.3%.
Yes, But

Bechen’s third-period goal came on a deflection, but UMD’s control was clear in the final score and shot advantage.

State of Play
  • UMD improved to 8-3-2 overall and 3-2-0 in conference play; St. Cloud State fell to 3-6-1 and 1-3-1.
  • The Bulldogs carry a seven-game scoring streak from Hanson and a nation-leading penalty kill into the series finale.
What’s Next

The teams meet again Saturday at 6 p.m. at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, where St. Cloud State will try to avoid a series sweep.

Bottom Line

UMD paired reliable goaltending with contributions across its lineup, turning a strong road performance into a shutout win and putting the pressure on St. Cloud State in the rematch.