Beavers beat Bulldogs in season opener – Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH – Minnesota Duluth's freshman class put on a show Saturday in their first games as Bulldogs at Amsoil Arena, but couldn't cap it off with a win.

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

The Bulldogs never led in a 4-3 non-conference overtime loss to Bemidji State and trailed by less than two minutes in the 2024-25 season opener.

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Freshman winger Jayson Shaugabay scored UMD's first two goals and set up freshman center Zam Plante's game-winning goal in the final two minutes. However, a turnover by Plante along the wall in the UMD zone during 3-on-3 overtime led to the game-winning goal from Beavers fifth-year captain Jackson Jutting.

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Junior Zach Sandy started the season opener for the Bulldogs and finished the game with 19 saves on 23 shots. It was just his second start in three seasons at UMD, the first coming in the second-to-last game last season – a 6-5 overtime win over St. Cloud State in Duluth.

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

• Sandy got the start of the season on Saturday because rookie Adam Gajan of Slovakia, the Chicago Blackhawks' 2023 second-round NHL draft pick, was ineligible to play in a friendly game in a Slovak professional league during the 2020-21 season . His punishment from the NCAA was that he had to sit out Saturday's game. UMD had appealed the ruling. Gajan and freshman Klyaton Knapp are expected to spend time Sunday when UMD hosts Manitoba in an exhibition.
• Shaugabay led UMD with three points Saturday — two goals and an assist — while both Plante brothers had two points. Zam Plante had a goal and an assist while Max Plante had two assists. As announced during the week, Sandelin had the three rookies together on a forward line. Eight of the eleven newcomers were in the squad on Saturday.
• Shaugabay, the 2023 Minnesota Mr. Hockey from Warroad, was the first of the announced 11-member freshman class to score in 2024-25. It took 1.1 seconds left in the first period after Max Plante found himself alone in front of the net after a pass from his brother Zam Plante.
• Shaugabay's second goal of the night came on a power play in the second period. He played alongside four Hermantown alumni Saturday on UMD's second power-play unit with the Plante brothers Hanson and Aaron Pionk.
• Donte Lawson — who scored the game-winning double goal in overtime for Greenway against Hermantown in the 2019 Section 7A championship at Amsoil Arena — scored another goal Saturday at Amsoil Arena. The Beavers' senior wing scored 3:21 into the second period, putting the Bulldogs – and their five Hermantown alumni – behind 2-1 at the time.
• BSU senior goalkeeper Mattias Sholl had to leave the game in the third period after making a save from Zam Plante. Raythan Robbins finished the game in goal for the Beavers, making 11 saves on 12 shots. Sholl finished the game with 26 saves.

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

UMD hosts Manitoba in an exhibition at Amsoil Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs are on the road next weekend at UMass-Lowell.

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Bemidji State 1-2-0-1—4
Minnesota Duluth 1-1-1-0-3
First period
1. BSU, Carter Randklev (Austin Jouppi), 1:41
2. UMD, Jayson Shaugabay (Max Plante, Zam Plante), 19:58
Second period
3. BSU, Donte Lawson (Rhys Chiddenton), 3:21
4. UMD, Shaugabay (Ty Hanson, Max Plante), 7:50
5. BSU, Jere Vaisanen, 17:33
Third period
6. UMD, Zam Plante (Dominic James, Shaugabay), 18:18
Over time
7. BSU, Jackson Jutting, 3:47
Saves — Mattias Sholl, BSU, 26; Raythan Robbins, BSU, 11; Zach Sandy, UMD, 19.
power play – BSU 0-1; UMD 1-4. Penalties – BSU 4-8; UMD 1-2.

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group

Clint Austin/Duluth Media Group