Bulldogs' Gajan vanquishes his demons at 'The Ralph'

North Dakota's Ralph Engelstad Arena has not been kind to UMD goalie Adam Gajan, but that was the regular season. He saved his best in Grand Forks for the NCHC semifinals Saturday.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 3:54pm

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North Dakota's Ralph Engelstad Arena has not been kind to Minnesota Duluth sophomore goaltender Adam Gajan in his short college career, and neither have the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. But Gajan erased any bad memories he may have of 'The Ralph' on Saturday by making 33 saves on 34 shots to backstop the Bulldogs into the NCHC Championship at Denver next weekend via a 5-1 win over NCHC regular season champion North Dakota.

Why it matters

Gajan has struggled in his previous five starts against North Dakota, going 1-4 with a .850 save percentage. This game showed he was able to overcome his past difficulties and deliver a strong performance when it mattered most, helping his team advance to the NCHC championship game.

The details

In his previous five starts against the Hawks, Gajan was 1-4 with a .850 save percentage. But on Saturday, he made 33 saves on 34 shots to lead the Bulldogs to a 5-1 win over North Dakota. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, and Gajan made 17 saves in the opening 20 minutes to keep North Dakota at bay. After the Hawks scored early in the third to make it 3-1, Bulldogs sophomore wing Harper Bentz scored a key goal to put UMD back up by three.

  • Gajan has struggled in his previous five starts against North Dakota, going 1-4 with a .850 save percentage.
  • On Saturday, Gajan made 33 saves on 34 shots to lead the Bulldogs to a 5-1 win over North Dakota in the NCHC semifinals.

The players

Adam Gajan

A sophomore goaltender for the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs who made 33 saves on 34 shots to lead his team to a 5-1 win over North Dakota in the NCHC semifinals.

North Dakota Fighting Hawks

The NCHC regular season champion team that was defeated 5-1 by the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in the NCHC semifinals.

Harper Bentz

A sophomore wing for the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs who scored a key goal in the third period to put UMD back up by three after North Dakota had scored to make it 3-1.

Scott Sandelin

The head coach of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, who praised Gajan's performance and said he looked "really confident and calm" in the game.

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What they’re saying

“Some tough games here in the past, but I always love playing here. The atmosphere, everything is great. I always love coming here.”

— Adam Gajan, Sophomore Goaltender, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

“I thought he was seeing the puck well. The first period, they had some really good chances. I didn't think we were hard enough defensively. He saw some pucks through screens, too, that — probably as a goalie — would say he got a little lucky that they hit him, but he's in the right position. I thought he looked really confident and calm tonight. He was seeing the puck and was really good for us.”

— Scott Sandelin, Head Coach, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

What’s next

The Bulldogs (23-13-1) and Pioneers (24-11-3) will play for the newly named National Cup on the University of Denver campus Saturday, as the NCHC moved away from a neutral site league championship to playing the entirety of its tournament on campus.

The takeaway

This game showed that Gajan was able to overcome his past struggles at Ralph Engelstad Arena and deliver a strong performance when it mattered most, helping his team advance to the NCHC championship game. His ability to bounce back and excel in a tough environment demonstrates his growth and resilience as a goaltender.