UMD sophomore Ben Steeves solved Michigan Tech goalie Blake Pietila for a shootout goal. Photos by John Gilbert.

There was enough area sports attractions last weekend to satisfy the most vehement fans’ appetite, what with UMD opening both its men’s and women’s hockey schedules with impressive victories — the women sweeping outgunned Long Island University in nearly identical shutouts, 6-0 and 4-0, and the men actually being tied by Michigan Tech 2-2 in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game but the Bulldogs getting the victory in a 2-1 shootout.  

But despite those games, we have to pause to pay tribute to the Minnesota Twins, who even bumped a spirited but flawed Vikings team out of the spotlight.

The Vikings made a strong rally behind Kirk Cousins, but fell short 27-20 to the superlative Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Cousins nearly duplicated Mahomes statistically, except for an opening interception and a closing sack when he had one last chance to gain what would have been a startling tie and requiring overtime.  

Women’s captain Mannon McMahon celebrated after her fourth goal in UMD’s 6-0 opening win.

The Twins, meanwhile, were off in Houston opening an American League divisional playoff that required them to prove they belonged after a crushing opening 6-4 loss to the Astros — crushing because Houston’s incomparable Justin Verlander shut them out on four singles through six innings, and only a dramatic rally closed the gap to 5-4 before the Astros put it away.

Game 2 was make or break time, and even the most ardent Twins fans had to be amazed at the Twins opening, with Carlos Correa doubling home a run in the first and Kyle Farmer hitting a 2-run homer in the second, while ace Pablo Lopez harnessed the explosive Astros.  

Clara Van Wieren scored her third goal in the midst of Long Island defenders in UMD’s 4-0 victory.

Lopez went seven innings, blanking Houston and striking out seven, before the 6-0 lead dipped to 6-2 against the bullpen. Correa, who has been absolutely brilliant at bat and in the field, continued to sparkle, getting three hits, two of them doubles, and driving in three runs, and making an assortment of key plays at shortstop and showing off his rocket arm. The very fact that the Twins are getting everybody involved and opened with that split in Houston sent them to Target Field for the next two games of the best-of-5 series, and, win or lose, they’ve captured the hearts of Minnesota sports fans.  

Up in Duluth, meanwhile, we’re all digging out our fleeces and down jackets and hoping the stiff and constant wind doesn’t blow all the colorful leaves down almost as soon as they’ve changed while we note that we seem to keep staying under 50 degrees that feel nastier with that harsh wind. With that as a backdrop, we didn’t mind that the UMD football team surprised us with a 28-18 loss at Wayne State, which is way off in Nebraska and leaves both teams 5-1 with 4-1 Northern Sun records.

Freshman Eve Gascon gave UMD goalies a 1-2 shutout start, blocking a Long Island shot by Maggie Culp. 

The Bulldogs come home to face University of Mary Saturday at noon. Quarterback Kyle Walljasper’s magic touch didn’t work at Wayne, even though he scored on a short run for a 10-7 lead and connected with Jimmy Durocher for a 28-yard touchdown pass. Walljasper led the Dogs with 126 yards on 24 rushes, but was harnessed for only 72 yard passing on an 8-for-18 day.  

Also on the road, the UMD volleyball team, which seemed to get things back together after losing twice at home, got off to a great start at No. 8-ranked Southwest State by winning the first set 25-15, hitting an outstanding .387 kill percentage while stifling Southwest to a .000 hitting percentage and an uncharacteristic nine errors. But in the second set, the contrast was amazing, as Southwest won 25-18 and squelched the Bulldogs to a negative hitting percentage and 10 errors. In the third set, Southwest broke from a 22-22 deadlock to win 25-22, and in the fourth, Southwest State led 13-11 before hammering their way to a 7-point run and a 25-17 match-breaker.  

Area fans were able to soothe their attitudes at AMSOIL Arena, where the UMD women used virtually the same concept to sweep the Long Island Sharks — scoring an early game-opening goal, then steadily building the lead behind a welcomed scoring surge by the team’s new top-two centers and flawless goaltending from freshman Eve Gascon from Mascouche, Quebec, and Hailey MacLeod, a sophomore from Abbotsford, British Columbia, who spent her freshman year backing up the departed Emma Soderberg.  

In the first game, Olivia Wallin scored a flashy goal after only 1:31 of the first period, and then Mannon McMahon, a center who stepped in as first-line center and captain, took command with four goals, completing her first collegiate hat trick day with a burst of speed around the left of the retreating defense before veering in front to score on Tindra Holm, who got no reward for facing the onslaught of a 52-12 shooting gallery.  

Two Harbors goalkeeper Lily Benvie stopped a point-blank shot by Marshall’s Sami Grosnick; Marshall won 3-1.

In game 2, Holm got more “experience” as UMD outshot the Sharks 55-10, meaning she stopped 95 shots. This time, Clara Van Wieren scored after only 1:02 of the first period expired, then she added two more in the second for her hat trick, providing ample evidence that the Bulldogs won’t be lacking at center.

“I played center all the way through high school until my senior year, when I changed schools,” said Van Wieren, a senior from Okemos, Mich. “It was fun jumping into center, because it’s easier than playing wing, where you have a lot of different responsibilities and you have to work so hard.”  

That opening sweep will be forgotten quickly with No. 2 ranked Ohio State coming to AMSOIL for a pair of 3 p.m. battles with the Bulldogs this weekend, but it made the perfect setting for the UMD men to take on a tough, aggressive Michigan Tech outfit in their Saturday night season opener.

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame presented former UMD — and Michigan Tech — coach Mike Sertich with the Spirit of Life award after the first period. He is the fifth recipient of the award, given occasionally to someone connected to hockey, or facing a serious health threat. Sertich was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has been undergoing extensive treatment during the past year. He got the good news a month ago that the treatment has worked and there is no sign of any remaining cancer.

“But I’ve lost a lot of weight and I get so tired and chilled easily,” Sertich said. Still, he’s felt good enough to go fishing and hunting with long-time friends.  

The men’s hockey team took leads of 1-0 and 2-1 against Tech, on goals by Luke Loheit in the first period and freshman Anthony Menghini in the third, but Tech got goals from Ryan Mosley in the second and Patrick’s Marcinkevic on a third-period breakaway to gain the 2-2 tie despite being outshot 50-34. Zach Stejskal was solid in goal for the Bulldogs, and senior Blake Pietila was sensational for the Huskies. But Stejskal got the edge in the three-round shootout after a scoreless overtime.

Sophomore Ben Steeves scored on a close-in move, but Tech also got one when Kyle Kukkonen beat Stejskal, then Anthony Menghini followed up his first collegiate goal by scoring on UMD’s third try, while Stejskal stopped Logan Pietila — one of four brothers in the Huskies lineup — to secure the victory. Even though it counts as a non conference tie.  

UMD plays Northern Michigan in a pair of 7 pm games this weekend at AMSOIL Arena.