DULUTH — Are those pesky refs out to get the Minnesota Duluth men’s and women’s hockey teams this season, you ask?

Both Bulldogs squads are averaging 5.3 penalties per game to start 2025-26, with the men averaging 13.3 penalty minutes per game (that ranks 12th nationally) and the women at 13 minutes per game (good for second in the NCAA).

Neither coach is blaming the stripes for all the time spent in the penalty box thus far, just themselves for not playing disciplined hockey.

“I don’t like the penalties we’re taking,” said UMD men’s coach Scott Sandelin. “If we’re going to have four or five, six penalty kills a night, we’re going to be in trouble. So we got to clean up some of that.”

Sandelin’s penalty kill has been strong to starting, killing 15 of the 17 opposing power plays it's en

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