MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- North Dakota came into this weekend's series at Minnesota without a sweep of the Gophers in either the new or old Mariucci Arena since Feb. 15-16, 1980. But a 7-3 win over Minnesota on Saturday ended the nearly 27-year drought while extending UND's unbeaten streak to seven games (6-0-1), the longest in the nation.
UND is now 15-11-2 overall and 9-9-2 in the WCHA, while Minnesota fell to 21-5-3 overall and 13-4-3 in the WCHA.
The score was 3-3 after a wild first period that featured 28 total penalty minutes (18 UND, 10 Minnesota), five power play opportunities for Minnesota and one for North Dakota.
UND took a 1-0 lead at 6:16 on Darcy Zajac's (Fr., Winnipeg, Manitoba) fifth goal of the season. Zajac carried up the left side on a 2-on-1 and fired a wrist shot from the circle that beat Minnesota goalie Jeff Frazee.
The Sioux made it 2-0 less than 90 seconds later when Ryan Duncan (So., Calgary, Alberta) rifled a wrist shot past Frazee for his 20th goal of the season.
Minnesota did not record a shot on goal until there was 11:52 remaining in the first period.
That changed quickly, however, as UND was called for two penalties that gave Minnesota a 5-on-3 for 27 seconds. It took the Gophers just 16 seconds to capitalize, as Erik Johnson's slap shot beat UND goalie Philippe Lamoureux at 9:59.
The Gophers tied it on a power play goal by Ryan Stoa at 14:34 and took a 3-2 lead on a power play goal by Mike Howe at 15:58.
UND tied it at 18:47 on a bizarre shorthanded goal by defenseman Robbie Bina (Jr., Grand Forks, N.D.). Bina was trying to clear the puck out of the North Dakota zone and flipped it high in the air down the ice from near his own goal line. The puck appeared to take two bounces over Frazee's stick and into the net for a goal that traveled more than 180 feet. It was Bina's eighth goal of the season and his second shorthanded goal in as many nights. Bina now has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in his last 14 games.
The first period ended with the score tied 3-3. Minnesota came back to outshoot UND 10-9 in the period, with seven of the Gophers' shots coming on the power play. Frazee was replaced in goal by Kellen Briggs after the first period.
Both teams had two power play opportunities in the first 10 minutes of the second period, and the Sioux finally capitalized at 11:29 when Duncan scored his second goal of the game and 21st of the season on a shot from the right circle that beat Briggs high to the short side.
That gave UND a 4-3 lead, and the Sioux made it 5-3 on a wraparound goal by Erik Fabian (Sr., Roseau, Minn.) at 11:53 of the second. It was Fabian's second goal of the series and fifth in eight career games against Minnesota.
After Fabian's goal, the Sioux killed off two more Minnesota power play opportunities in the second period, the eighth and ninth of the game for the Gophers. North Dakota outshot Minnesota 12-8 in the second period.
UND extended its lead to 6-3 at 5:13 of the third period on a power play goal by T.J. Oshie (So., Warroad, Minn.). On the play, Oshie one-time a shot past Briggs from the left circle after a pretty cross-ice pass from Duncan.
Oshie made it 7-3 UND when he scored his second goal of the game at 12:19 after a pass from Jonathan Toews (So., Winnipeg, Manitoba).
NOTES: Duncan had seven points in the series (four goals, three assists).
