UMD men's hockey: Gilling leads Bulldogs to 4-1 win at North Dakota

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Fourth-ranked Minnesota Duluth handed sixth-ranked and league-leading North Dakota its first loss in NCHC play of 2021-22 via a 4-1 victory on Friday at a sold-out Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The Bulldogs (8-2-1 overall, 3-1-1 NCHC) were perfect on the penalty kill for a fourth consecutive game, going 6-for-6 on Friday while also keeping the Fighting Hawks (8-4, 4-1) off the scoreboard when their net was empty for 2:07 late in the game.

“Our killers did a really good job again,” said Scott Sandelin, whose Bulldogs play the Hawks again at 6:07 p.m. Saturday in Grand Forks. “We got some timely goals and some important kills.”

Fifth-year senior forward Casey Gilling doubled his scoring total Friday with a pair of goals. The transfer out of Miami tied the game at 1-1 midway through the first period on the power play and extended UMD’s lead from one to two goals 12:53 into the second.

Both goals came off the stick of the centerman between the faceoff circles. Gilling’s third goal of the season came off a faceoff and rebound from a blast by fifth-year senior wing Koby Bender. Gilling picked up a loose puck in traffic to fire through his fourth goal at UMD. He credited senior captain Noah Cates for knocking a stick out of his way, creating a clean shot.

“I got to give credit to all my linemates,” Gilling said of his goals. “They made the plays happen. The puck just happened to bounce to me. That’s really all it was, just them working hard and keeping it in the zone.”

UMD fell behind 2:30 into Friday’s game when North Dakota senior and Grand Rapids native Gavin Hain scored on a two-on-one breakaway. The goal ended the shutout streak of UMD junior goaltender Ryan Fanti at three games, nine periods (plus an OT) and 188 minutes.

Freshman center Dominic James put the Bulldogs on top 2-1 with a hair under eight minutes remaining in the second with just his second goal of the season. James batted the puck out of the air to the far post past North Dakota senior goalie Zach Driscoll — a former Bemidji State Beaver — to cap off a quick give-and-go with fifth-year senior wing Kobe Roth.

“They scored the first one pretty quick there,” Roth said. “We knew their crowd was going to be into it, so that was something we had to weather. I thought we had a good response. It was a full team effort. Our PK was unbelievable tonight. That was huge.”

Fanti finished with 23 saves on Friday for UMD after having to only make four stops during the second period. Driscoll also made 23 saves for the Hawks.

North Dakota was without star sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson on Friday. He was one of a number of Fighting Hawks who were out of the lineup or playing through a non-COVID illness.

The Bulldogs were without sophomore defenseman Connor Kelley, who is out this weekend due to injury. Freshman forward Kyler Kleven and junior forward Luke Loheit both returned from injury.

Minnesota Duluth 2-1-1—4

North Dakota 1-0-0—1

First period

1. ND, Gavin Hain (Louis Jamernik, Mark Senden), 2:30

2. UMD, Casey Gilling (Koby Bender, Wyatt Kaiser), 10:13 (pp)

3. UMD, Dominic James (Kobe Roth, Hunter Lellig), 12:02

Second period

4. UMD, Gilling (Owen Gallatin, Tanner Laderoute), 12:53

Third period

5. UMD, Roth (Quinn Olson), 18:05 (en)

Saves — Ryan Fanti, UMD, 23; Zach Driscoll, ND, 23.

Power play — UMD 1-6; ND 0-6. Penalties — UMD 8-16; ND 9-29.

1/17: Defenseman Cooper Moore (4) and North Dakota forward Griffin Ness (11) compete with Minnesota Duluth forward Casey Gilling (37) behind the net for the puck during the second period on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

2/17: Goaltender Ryan Fanti (39) and Minnesota Duluth defenseman Wyatt Kaiser (5) defend a shot on goal against North Dakota defenseman Ethan Frisch (15) on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

3/17: North Dakota forward Louis Jamernik (27) cross checks Minnesota Duluth defenseman Louie Roehl (6) on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Jamernik was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for contact to the head. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

4/17: North Dakota head coach Brad Berry talks to referees after his team was issued a five-minute penalty against Minnesota Duluth during the first period on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

5/17: Minnesota Duluth forward Casey Gilling (37) scores a goal against North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll (33) during the second period on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

6/17: North Dakota forward Gavin Hain (10) scores the first goal of the game against Minnesota Duluth goaltender Ryan Fanti (39) on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

7/17: North Dakota players celebrate the first goal of the game against Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

8/17: North Dakota forward Nick Portz (20) hits Minnesota Duluth forward Kyler Kleven (22) during the first period on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

9/17: Minnesota Duluth forward Kobe Roth (10) puts the puck on goal against North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll (33) on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

10/17: Minnesota Duluth forward Casey Gilling (37) shoots the puck past Minnesota Duluth forward Kobe Roth (10) and North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll (33) to score a goal during the first period on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

11/17: Forward Kobe Roth (10), forward Casey Gilling (37) and Minnesota Duluth forward Noah Cates (21) celebrate a first period goal against North Dakota on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

12/17: Minnesota Duluth goaltender Ryan Fanti (39) makes a glove save against North Dakota defenseman Brady Ferner (2) during the first period on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

13/17: North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll (33) covers the puck against Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

14/17: North Dakota forward Mark Senden (19) and Minnesota Duluth defenseman Louie Roehl (6) compete for the puck during the first period on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

15/17: Minnesota Duluth defenseman Matt Anderson (3) controls the puck against North Dakota forward Connor Ford (21) on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

16/17: North Dakota defenseman Ethan Frisch (15) controls the puck against Minnesota Duluth forward Noah Cates (21) on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune

17/17: Minnesota Duluth forward Jesse Jacques (18) controls the puck against North Dakota on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clint Austin / Duluth News Tribune