GRAND FORKS, N.D. – When Jake Schmaltz was but 2-years-old, Drew Stafford became the last North Dakota rookie hockey player to score goals in each of his first two games in a then-Fighting Sioux jersey.
 
Schmaltz, now 20, put his name on that elite list next to Stafford on Saturday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena when he scored a goal for the second straight night to spark No. 8 UND to a 4-0 win and a weekend sweep over Niagara.
 
The McFarland, Wis., native one-timed a backhand feed from line mate Judd Caulfield high to the top of the net on Niagara freshman goalie Jake Sibell just 1:08 into the game, as the Fighting Hawks scored on their first shot on goal for the second straight game.
 
Stafford's goals came during the 2003-04 season to begin the 48 goals he rang up in his three years at UND.
 
"That's pretty cool,'' Schmaltz said. "I don't think I can be compared to Drew Stafford, but it's super cool to be mentioned with a guy like that, but he was a helluva player. I probably shouldn't be compared to him yet.''
 
Schmaltz might be in that category in time, since he now has three goals in his first two games to lead UND, which entered the weekend ranked 8/7 in two national polls.
 
The rookie scored his second goal on a power play at 6:28 of the second period, whistling a slap shot past Sibell on his glove side, but moments after Sibell was left gloveless after losing his mitt in a scramble.
 
Defenseman Jake Sanderson scored for the second straight game in the second period after Sibell lost his stick trying to poke-check the puck away from Sanderson and Riese Gaber added a third period power-play goal to complete the scoring.
 
Zach Driscoll, a transfer from Bemidji State, posted an 18-save shutout, his 11th career college shutout, for three different colleges. He had one at St. Cloud State, nine at Bemidji and now his first at UND.
 
"It feels good individually, but it doesn't happen without my teammates,'' Driscoll said.
 
UND, now 9-0 all-time against Niagara, and with a team featuring 14 new players, gave a sellout crowd of 11,689 reason for optimism heading into a home-and-home series with Bemidji State next Friday and Saturday.
 
"A good two wins,'' UND head coach Brad Berry said. "Good team-building. They (Niagara) pushed us. they gave us a push. When we had some power plays, I think that is when we got some momentum. We capitalized on one of them, and it got us going.''
 
The power-play goal by Schmaltz in the second period on assists from defensemen Chris Jandric and Tyler Kleven, provided the momentum Berry alluded to.
 
UND has had to rebuild its power-play units after heavy graduation losses and defections to the pros by some key underclassmen.
 
"They're new guys, but they're experienced guys,'' Berry said of his rebuilt power plays. "Just trying to find spots for each one of those guys, and I think they're doing a good job of it.''
 
NOTES: Bowling Green transfer Connor Ford dominated the faceoffs, winning 20 of the 26 draws he took . . . UND was 2-5 on the power play with 14 shots on goal, Niagara 0-3 without a single shot on goal . . . Sanderson led UND in shots on goal with 5, followed by Gaber with 4 . . . Schmaltz, Sanderson and Driscoll were named the three stars of the game by the media, in that order . . . Niagara freshman goalie Sibell, making his first college start, was named preseason Rookie of the Year in Atlantic Hockey . . .  Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski, a former UND standout, put on his #7 jersey and got a special introduction during warmups as part of a "One More Shift'' feature for former players in the program. As he left the ice by the UND bench, Bochenski handed his hockey stick over the plexiglass to a young fan … UND has now outscored Niagara, 33-10, in its six all-time wins in Grand Forks … The Hawks move to 31-2 in their history against Atlantic Hockey programs and 24-0-0 in Grand Forks.
 
For more news on UND hockey, visit FightingHawks.com. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @UNDmhockey.