DULUTH, Minn. - The No. 1 team in the nation got another three-point night from the No. 1 scorer in the nation Saturday and equally as important, got a clutch third-period goal from rookie left winger Caleb Herbert en route to a 4-3 win over the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
The Univesity of Minnesota Duluth wasted little time getting to work, striking first on senior center Jack Connolly's 14th goal of the year 1:07 into the opening period. A power play tally by the Chargers at the 1:55 mark and a full-strength marker less than a minute later gave Alabama-Huntsville a brief 2-1 lead. The defending NCAA Champion Bulldogs knotted the score three minutes later on a one-time goal by sophomore right winger Joe Basaraba (with an assist to Connolly) and went into the first intermission in a 2-2 deadlock.
Connolly's second goal of the evening put UMD back in front 2:12 into the second stanza before the Chargers tied it back up with 12:11 to go in the period. Connolly, who now has 40 points on the year, extended his personal scoring streak to 22 games, equaling the UMD single-season record set by another All-American center, Mark Pavelich in 1978-79.
"I'm just trying to go out there and help the guys," said Connolly, who has recorded three or more points on seven occasions this winter. "Hopefully I can keep this streak going for a couple more games. It's nice to share this kind of record."
Herbert gave UMD a lead it would never relinquish with his eighth goal of the year. The freshman winger walked to the net and made a nifty pass fake, freezing the Charger goaltender temporarily and sneaking the puck through with a quick wrist shot with 17:08 remaining in regulation.
A Sellout crowd of 6,757 came through the gates at AMSOIL Arena, making the first sellout for UMD against a non-Western Collegiate Hockey Association foe since Dec. 12, 1986 (Harvard University). The capacity crowd was treated to the Bulldogs' eighth straight win at home and fourth consecutive series sweep.
UMD (17-4-3 overall) nabbed its sixth series sweep of the year and is now unbeaten in 19 of its last 20 games (16-1-3). This weekend's series with Alabama-Huntsville (2-24-1), a NCAA independent, marked the final non-conference activity of the year for the Bulldogs, who were 6-1-1 outside the WCHA.
The Bulldogs will remain at home next weekend next weekend to host Michigan Tech University.
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