Second-line center Carter Rowney (Jr., Sexsmith, Alberta) scored twice and set up Michael Parks' (Fr., St. Louis, Mo.) third-period insurance tally to vault UND to a 3-1 win over Minnesota Duluth.

The victory was the fourth straight for the 16th-ranked Fighting Sioux, who have lost just three times in the last 16 games (12-3-1). UND improved to 16-10-2 overall and 12-9-0 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) play.

Rowney and linemates Parks and Mark MacMillan (Fr., Penticton, British Columbia) combined for six points on a night in which the high-powered Corban Knight-Brock Nelson-Danny Kristo line was held off the scoresheet. Rowney's three points were a career high, while Parks and MacMillan combined for a goal and two assists.

"That line seems to really be growing together and building some chemistry," said UND Head Coach Dave Hakstol. "I thought they played very well. Overall that line was effective."

Both of Rowney's goals came late in periods. He staked UND to a 1-0 lead late in the first period, beating UMD netminder Kenny Reiter on a wraparound with 2:45 left in the opening frame. Then he found the net again late in the second period, intercepting a UMD breakout pass in the circle to the left of Reiter, and firing a snapshot past him.

"At first I was looking for the pass and it got taken away pretty good, so I just was able to get the puck on the net and he (Reiter) had the five-hole open."

Parks struck for the insurance tally with an unusual goal two minutes into the third period. With UND enjoying a 5-minute power play, Rowney muscled a puck to the front of the Bulldogs' net. Parks was stopped on his initial shot, but, while sprawled on the ice to the right of Reiter, was able to take a one-handed swipe at the puck and knock it in off a UMD defenseman.

"It was just one of those goals," said Parks. "I got a really lucky bounce."

Parks, who has seven points in his last seven games, was quick to defer the credit for his line's production to Rowney.

"Rowney's been great the last few weeks. We're starting to build a lot of chemistry. We're starting to click and play well together."

UND junior goalie Aaron Dell (Airdrie, Alberta) was solid in stopping 26 of 27 shots, coming within 66 seconds of a second straight Amsoil Arena shutout until J.T. Brown scored a power-play goal late in the game.

"I thought he was solid," Hakstol said of his All-American goalie. "I thought the guys did a good job in front of him. I thought he made two or three critical saves on good opportunities at key points of the game."

Hakstol was particularly pleased with the efficiency his team played with after a week off.

"I thought we played with good focus, played with a real good mentality, and we were rewarded for it," said Hakstol. "We were rewarded for playing a hard, greasy, road game."

Notes: Parks and Rowney each led the Sioux with four shots on goal ... Parks has reached the scoresheet in six of the last seven games, notching four goals and three asissts ... UND is 26-4-1 (.855) in February, March and April over the past three seasons, 77-23-12 (.814) in those months during Hakstol's tenure.

~Go Sioux ~