#1 Ranked UMD Bulldogs To Raise Championship Banner Saturday Night

The UMD Bulldogs men's hockey team will open the 2018-2019 season Saturday, October 6 by hosting the Minnesota Golden Gophers and raising their National Championship Banner.

For the first time ever, the Bulldogs will open the season as the #1 ranked team in the country, according to the recent USCHO.COM preseason poll.  The reigning NCAA champions received 44 of 60 first-place votes and 982 points. UMD was followed by the University of Notre Dame (two first-place votes and 857 pts.), the Ohio State University (two first-place votes and 835 pts.), the University of Michigan (the remaining two first-place votes and 790 points), Providence College (698 pts.), St. Cloud State University (697 pts.), Cornell University (676 pts.), Boston University (597 pts.), the University of Denver (552 pts.) and Minnesota State University-Mankato. (488 pts.).

The Bulldogs will kick off the season against their biggest rival, the Golden Gophers Saturday at Amsoil Arena, with the drop of the puck at 7:00 p.m.  The first 2,500 fans will receive a championship pennant courtesy of Essentia Health.

The two-game series against Minnesota will move south to Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis on Sunday, October 7, with the drop of the puck again at 7:00 p.m.