The Gophers and Minnesota Duluth will face off for the fifth time this season — and in the fifth different venue — in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday in Manchester, N.H. The Bulldogs have the upper hand in the season series with a 3-1 record. They also won the only time the two rivals have met in the NCAA tournament.
About the rivalry
• The Gophers have a 134-78-17 all-time record against the Bulldogs.
• Minnesota Duluth is 5-2-2 against the Gophers in the past three seasons.
• The Bulldogs beat the Gophers 3-1 in the 2004 Midwest Regional final to end Minnesota's hopes for three straight NCAA titles.
2014-2015 results
Oct. 10: Don Lucia's squad opened the season with a 4-3 victory at the Ice Breaker Tournament in South Bend, Ind. The Gophers built an early 3-0 lead and held off the Bulldogs' comeback attempt.
Nov. 14: UMD shut out the Gophers 3-0 at Mariucci Arena in what was the beginning of the Gophers' midseason slump.
Nov. 15: The home-and-home series shifted north where the Bulldogs survived for a 2-1 victory.
Jan. 24: The Gophers hit a season low when they lost 2-1 to the Bulldogs in the North Star College Cup consolation game at Xcel Energy Center. However, it was after this loss that the Gophers started to turn around their season.
