OMAHA, Neb.-- Third-ranked Minnesota Duluth won the shootout to pick up the extra league point in a 2-2 tie Thursday evening at Baxter Arena in the fifth game of the 10-game NCHC pod. Nick Swaney's shootout tally in UMD's final chance proved to be the difference in the shootout after a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime. 

"From the end of the first, all the way through the rest of the game, I thought we did what we had to do," UND head coach Brad Berry said. "Heavy on the forecheck, had pucks in the offensive zone and didn't play a lot in our end of the rink. I thought we did all the right things to deserve a win tonight, and obviously we didn't, so didn't close out the game tonight in the last few minutes and need to be better at that."

Minnesota Duluth (4-0-1) had to rally back from down a goal late. The Bulldogs' Cole Koepke scored with 3:25 to go in regulation to tie the score at 2-2. Four minutes and change earlier, Shane Pinto had given North Dakota (3-1-1) the lead for the first time. His one-timer blast on the power play gave him a team-high eighth point and Jordan Kawaguchi provided both helpers in the tie to give him seven points on the season.  

UMD found the scoreboard first as Jesse Jacques' shot from the point trickled past Adam Scheel and into the net at the 7:03 mark for a quick 1-0 lead. 

North Dakota came out buzzing in the second, controlling play and getting multiple chances. It finally cashed in when Kawaguchi picked off a pass in the neutral zone and found Riese Gaber. The freshman then rifled a shot past Ryan Fanti for his team-leading third goal to tie the score at 12:08 in the middle frame. 

That's where it remained until Pinto's power play marker that gave UND a brief lead. The Fighting Hawks came into the game allowing just 22 shots on goal per game--fourth-best in the country-- but UMD out-shot North Dakota, 15-9, in the first period and had a 32-28 advantage in shots on goal for the game. 

Adam Scheel made 30 saves as his record moved to 2-1-1 on the season.  

North Dakota faces No. 13/11 St. Cloud State for the first time in the pod with a 4:05 p.m. puck drop. 

NOTES:
*Kawaguchi has a point in all five games this season.
*UND was 1-2 on the power play and has at least one power play goal in every game. 
*North Dakota's power play is 6 for its last 13 (46.2%).
*Matt Kiersted blocked five shots Thursday.
*UND killed off all three Bulldog power plays, including a 4-on-3 advantage right off the faceoff of the overtime period.