UMD's Anthony Menghini (26) was stopped by North Dakota goalie TJ Semptimphelter before his third-period hat trick in 7-3 loss Friday. Photos by John Gilbert.

As legendary hockey rivalries go, the UMD men have some time before the holidays to reconstruct their game plan after being blown out by North Dakota in time last weekend. It was similar to the lopsided losses UMD suffered against Minnesota to start the season.

The UMD women, meanwhile, have a chance to lay it on the line at AMSOIL Arena this weekend in a showdown series against Minnesota.

The Bulldogs men gave up two early goals to North Dakota on Friday, and instead of tightening it up, they gave up three more in the second before winger Anthony Menghini scored an unlikely third-period hat trick for UMD and the Bulldogs fell 7-3. 

In Saturday’s second game, North Dakota stormed out for a 2-0 lead, outshooting UMD 8-0 in the first 5:38. 

For the second night in a row, Scott Sandelin pulled goalie Adam Gajan and relieved him with fellow-freshman Klayton Knapp, but UMD’s valiant comeback gained them only one goal, by Harper Bentz, and the Fighting Hawks left town with a 4-1 sweeper.

UMD freshman Harper Bentz (15) converted a goal-mouth pass from Aaron Pionk (8) to cut North Dakota's lead to 3-1 Saturday.

As much as the two losses sting, the loss of captain and star center Dominic James in the second period of the first game hurt more, especially when he was unable to return for the second game. 
This week, the men are off to Miami of Ohio for another NCHC series.

But there is a lot more to UMD’s sports scene than its two prize Division I sports of men’s and women’s hockey.

This weekend opens with a Thursday afternoon showdown against Winona State in the regular-season finale. 

The Bulldogs gave themselves a final breath last weekend by winning at Minnesota State Mankato in a stirring 5-set battle, 22-25, 25-21, 12-25, 25-23, and 15-13. 

The fourth set proved decisive as coach Jim Boos issued a challenge on an out-of-bounds call, with the Bulldogs clinging to a 24-23 lead. The video review confirmed that a Mavericks player had touched the ball on Cianna Selbitschka’s kill attempt — so the call was reversed in UMD’s favor and they got the 25-23 victory and a chance to win the fifth set and the match.

Selbitschka, who has been restricted in her time on the court and in her effectiveness by an injury, was brilliant, leading the Bulldogs with 19 kills, while Samantha Paulsen added 16. 

At 8-9 in the NSIC, UMD is one-half game behind the three-way tie for seventh place among Mankato, Sioux Falls and Augustana in the battle to finish among the top eight and make the NSIC tournament. 
The Bulldogs need to beat Mankato, and hope for some help in other rivals beating Augustana, Sioux Falls and Mankato — all of whom play twice this weekend to UMD’s single match, against Winona State at 4 pm Saturday at Romano Gym.

At AMSOIL Arena, UMD’s women risk their 5-2-1 WCHA record, which is good for third place behind undefeated Wisconsin and defending champion Ohio State. 

One game behind the Bulldogs, at 4-3-1, lurk the Gophers, who have been UMD’s main rival since the Bulldogs started their program. UMD won the first three NCAA tournaments held for women. The intensity of the rivalry will be renewed this weekend, at 6 pm Friday and 3 pm Saturday.

The UMD football team, after rising to whip Winona State 35-7 at Winona last Saturday, returns to Malosky Stadium to face MSU Mankato. Kyle Walljasper passed to DaShaun Ames for the game’s first three touchdowns, and dominated the offense passing and running. 

This Saturday game, at high noon, gives UMD a slim chance to knock off Mankato and gain consideration for a regional playoff spot, despite being one of five teams with four losses in NSIC play.
The NFL last weekend was a chaotic scene of last-play victories and losses. The Minnesota Vikings played one of their worst games ever — except for their defense. Sam Darnold had a terrible day, throwing three interceptions with impatient throws into the end zone, but without scoring a touchdown, the Vikings won 12-7 at Jacksonville as John Parker Romo kicked field goals of 29, 34, 33 and 45 yards in his debut as a backup kicker.

Detroit’s Jared Goff put the faltering Lions offense back together for the second half, and, despite five interceptions by Goff, Jake Bates kicked a 58-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining to tie it 23-23, then put a 52-yarder through just a couple millimeters inside the left upright as time expired to swipe a 26-23 victory from Houston. Goff also threw five touchdown passes, as the Lions rose from a 23-7 halftime deficit. At 8-1, the Lions lead the 7-2 Vikings for the division.

In the Big Ten, a St. Paul reporter covering the Gophers almost gloated about how the Gophers have improved every facet of their quarterback play by letting returnee Athan Kaliakmanis go to the transfer portal and bringing in Max Brosner from the University of New Hampshire. 

Brosmer has done well, leading the Gophers to bowl-game contention, but on Saturday, Minnesota played at Rutgers — which is where Kaliakmanis transferred. In the game, Browner was 27-45 for 262 yards and a touchdown, while Kaliakmanis was 17-33 for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Rutgers won 26-19.

In Game 2, Cameron Berg (14) drilled a power-play shot past relief UMD goalie Klayton Knapp for a 3-0 lead in the first period.