UMD Men’s Hockey to Close Out Regular Season at St. Cloud

The Bulldogs have already earned a spot in the NCHC conference playoff tournament.

DULUTH, Minn.- The UMD men’s hockey team will close out their regular season on the road this weekend, as the Bulldogs take on St. Cloud State.

The Bulldogs and the Huskies faced off earlier this season, where UMD earned the series sweep.

The Bulldogs have already earned a spot in the NCHC conference playoff tournament.

But after showing struggles against Miami, the team hopes to get back on the right foot before the conference tournament.

“We weren’t very good, and all it was that team out worked us and out competed us. They wanted to win, they wanted to win more than we did, it seemed like. I thought if we play like that we will be done earlier,” said head coach Scott Sandelin. “The key word is compete, compete and hard work, those two words. If our team does that, we can be pretty good, and we have proven that.”

For Graduate Student Joe Molenaar, he will face-off against his former team for the first time in St. Cloud.

Molenaar and the rest of the team understands the importance of playing at a high level.

“We saw it at times getting out competed and I think for us it has been a big emphasis this week is our compete level. We are getting towards that end of the year where every game is like a playoff. We just have to keep looking to raise our compete level, especially as a group,” said Molenaar.

Game one between the Bulldogs and the Huskies is on Friday.

Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.