No. 3 Minnesota (10-2-0) vs. Bemidji State (5-6-0)

Entering the weekend on an eight-game win streak, the Minnesota Gophers hosted Bemidji State in game one of a home-and-home series and looked to add more wins to the win column. In game one, the Gophers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before the Beavers responded on the power play, with Minnesota regaining a two-goal advantage heading into the first intermission.

Bemidji State kept it close through two periods, and just over the halfway point of the third, Kirklan Irey notched a rebound goal to make it 4-3 Minnesota. A tense end to the game ensued before Brody Lamb sealed the victory with an empty net goal for his thirteenth point of the season.

Game two on Nov. 16 saw the Beavers fly out the gates and score on the first shift via a Kirklan Irey breakaway goal. Irey doubled the lead midway through the first off a bad turnover in front, leading to a 2-0 lead for the Beavers at the break.

The Gophers peppered goaltender Mattias Sholl with shots but were unable to bypass him, with Sholl making 24 saves through two. Forward Matthew Wood finally ended Sholl's shutout bid with 2:12 left in regulation, but Greenway standout Donte Lawson scored a late empty netter for a 3-1 Bemidji State win, ending the Gophers win streak at nine. 

The Gophers will catch a flight to South Bend this week for a Big Ten matchup against Notre Dame (5-7-0), with puck drop at 6:00 PM on 11/22 and 5:00 PM on 11/23. Bemidji State will remain at home and host St. Thomas (3-5-3) at the Sandford Center, with puck drop at 7:07 PM on Friday and 6:07 PM on Saturday. 

Minnesota Duluth (5-6-0) at Miami (OH) (3-9-2)

After getting swept at home last weekend, Minnesota Duluth traveled to Oxford, Ohio, to battle the Miami RedHawks, a team the Bulldogs have historically had success against. UMD led 1-0 late in the first period of game one when Jack Smith doubled the lead off a deflected shot in front.

Leading 3-0 to start the third, Anthony Menghini extended the Bulldogs' lead before Aiden Dubinsky finished the scoring, resulting in a clean 5-0 win. Warroad native and former Mr. Hockey winner Jayson Shaugabay notched two assists in the game, and goaltender Adam Gajan stood tall in the net, making 21 saves in his first collegiate shutout. 

The Bulldogs came out flat-footed in the rematch and fell behind 2-0 in the first, with Orono native Blake Mesenburg tallying the RedHawks second goal. However, the Bulldogs stormed back quickly and scored three unanswered goals to close the period, with the second goal coming off the stick of Hermantown's Ty Hanson, his first collegiate goal.

UMD kept its foot on the gas in the middle frame and padded their lead with three additional goals, heading into the third period ahead 6-2. The Bulldogs scored the lone goal in the third to win 7-2 and earn their second sweep of the season. Dominic James had a two-assist night to bring his season points total to 15, with Hermantown's Zam Plante recording three assists to mark his first collegiate three-point game. 

The Bulldogs will return home this weekend to face the No. 9 Western Michigan Broncos (6-1-1), starting at 7:07 PM on Friday and 5:07 PM on Saturday. 

No. 16 Minnesota State (8-4-2) vs. Northern Michigan (1-10-1)

Minnesota State hosted the last-place team in the CCHA this weekend, opening the series with a shutout victory. Leading 1-0 to start the second, defenseman Ralfs Bergmanis doubled the Mavericks lead with 4:17 remaining in the period, with the first assist going to Rhett Pitlick. Alexandria native Jakob Stender added a late empty netter to mark his first collegiate goal in the 3-0 win, with goaltender Alex Tracy brushing aside all 21 shots on net. 

For the second night in a row, Minnesota State's Will Hillman opened the scoring, and the team led 1-0 at the first break. The Mavericks held onto that small one-goal margin through to the final 10 minutes of regulation when Northern Michigan's Will Diamond tied the game and ended Alex Tracy's second straight shutout bid.

The game ended in a tie and the Wildcats claimed the extra available point in the shootout. With the tie, Minnesota State improved their record against Northern Michigan to 8-0-2 over their previous 10 matchups. 

The Mavericks' next series will be on the road against the first-place team in the conference, Michigan Tech (6-2-0), with puck drop at 6:07 PM CT on Nov. 22 and 5:07 PM CT on Nov. 23. 

St. Thomas (3-5-3) vs. Bowling Green (5-4-1)

At St. Thomas Ice Arena, the Tommies took an early lead off a goal from St. Paul native Matthew Gleason, but the game was all knotted up at 1-1 at the first intermission. A power-play goal from Cooper Gay only 57 seconds into the second put the Tommies back in front, with that one-goal margin remaining in place to start the third. Bowling Green's Breck McKinley scored the lone goal in the third to end in a 2-2 tie, with the Falcons winning the shootout to claim the extra conference point. 

Game two saw the Tommies score first for the second night in a row and lead 2-1 heading into the second period. Leading 3-2 midway through the second, two goals in quick succession from Lucas Wahlin and Cooper Gay positioned the Tommies with a comfortable three-goal advantage with one period remaining. Both teams added a goal in the third period, ending in a 6-3 St. Thomas win.

Benilde-St. Margaret's alum Cooper Gay tallied two points in both games, resulting in nine points scored through his first 11 games played. His seven goals position him atop the CCHA goals leaderboard. Goaltender Aaron Trotter made 32 saves in the victory, improving to a 3-3 record in his first six starts.

The Tommies will make a four-hour drive north this weekend to battle Bemidji State, marking their first official road trip of the season.